The United Nations has expressed alarm over reports that a Myanmar military airstrike in Rakhine state killed 50 people and wounded at least 58 others, many of them critically.
The strike occurred on Sept. 28 in Kyauktaw, near Myanmar’s border with Bangladesh, according to the Arakan Army and local aid workers. Women and children were reportedly among those killed. The casualty figures could rise, according to the office of UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the latest violence underscored the lack of conditions for the safe return of refugees and other displaced people to Myanmar. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to the violence, protection of civilians and compliance with international law.
The Arakan Army, which is fighting Myanmar’s military, accused government forces of deliberately targeting densely populated areas, including markets, schools, residential buildings and civilians. A Myanmar government spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. The military has previously said it exercises maximum restraint to avoid civilian casualties.
The reported attack took place around a busy market with more than 200 shops serving members of several communities, including Rakhine, Rohingya, Hindu and Daingnet communities, according to the UN human rights office.
The Kyauktaw strike is being described as the deadliest reported air attack in Rakhine since a hospital bombing in December that killed at least 30 people. The incident adds to the continuing violence in Myanmar, where fighting has persisted since the 2021 military coup.
The conflict has killed around 100,000 people and displaced more than 3.5 million, according to the latest figures cited in the reports. The continuing violence has also complicated efforts to return refugees and displaced people safely to affected areas.
Guterres also urged all sides to allow safe, sustained and unhindered access for United Nations personnel and other humanitarian workers so that assistance can reach people affected by the conflict.
The United Nations continues to call for the protection of civilians and an end to hostilities as the humanitarian situation in Rakhine remains a major concern.
