Myanmar military continues airstrikes across Arakan after deadly Kyauktaw attack

By Admin 02 Oct 2026

DMG Newsroom

2 October 2026, Kyawkaw

The Myanmar military has continued airstrikes across several townships in Arakan State following the deadly September 28 bombing of Kyauktaw, with fresh attacks causing further civilian casualties and damage to homes and religious buildings, according to the Arakan Army (AA) and local sources.

In an October 1 statement, the AA said military aircraft carried out repeated attacks on what it described as non-military targets in Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, Pauktaw, Kyauktaw and Thandwe townships on September 30 and October 1.

The AA said some civilians were killed and injured in the latest attacks, while a monastery and civilian homes were also damaged. It said further details on casualties and damage would be released as information became available.

The latest attacks came just days after the September 28 airstrike on the crowded India Market and Kissapanadi Bridge area in Kyauktaw.

The United League of Arakan (ULA) initially reported 49 civilians killed and 58 injured in the Kyauktaw attack. DMG subsequently reported that the death toll had risen to 50 after one of the critically injured victims died while receiving medical treatment. Twenty-one of the injured remained in serious condition.

The bombing struck the busy market and bridge area shortly after noon, where vendors, shoppers, transport workers and other civilians were present. Vehicles, motorcycles, three-wheelers and shops were also burned and damaged in the attack.

Airstrikes have continued in other parts of Arakan since the Kyauktaw bombing.

DMG reported on October 1 that military aircraft bombed Kyauksaik village in Ponnagyun Township and Ku Taung village in Rathedaung Township on the night of September 30, killing one civilian and injuring three others.

In Ponnagyun, a 26-year-old woman and a four-year-old child were injured when a jet fighter bombed Kyauksaik village, where many displaced people are sheltering. In Rathedaung, a 51-year-old man was killed and his 41-year-old wife injured when a bomb struck their home in Ku Taung village.

The renewed attacks follow weeks of aerial bombardment across Arakan. Between September 17 and 27, the AA said at least six civilians were killed and 16 others injured in military airstrikes and artillery attacks across the state. Civilian homes, religious buildings and a school were also damaged.

On September 28 alone, military aircraft carried out attacks in Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun, Minbya and Thandwe townships, according to DMG reports.

The airstrikes have intensified amid continuing fighting between the military and the AA, particularly around the Sittwe-Ponnagyun front and other areas where the two sides remain engaged.

Recent monitoring also indicates that Arakan has been among the areas most heavily affected by military airstrikes nationwide. ISP-Myanmar recorded at least 222 airstrikes in Arakan between March 31 and August 31, behind only Magway Region, Chin State and Sagaing Region during the five-month period.

Those figures do not include the series of deadly attacks carried out across Arakan during September or the latest strikes reported on September 30 and October 1.

The AA said the military continues to attack locations it describes as having no military significance, including civilian residential areas, schools and religious buildings, and warned that airstrikes were continuing across Arakan.