AA says junta airstrikes increasing civilian casualties across Arakan
DMG Newsroom
14 September 2026, Ponnagyun
Arakan Army (AA) says Myanmar’s military is carrying out repeated airstrikes on civilian-populated areas across Arakan, causing mounting casualties and property damage amid escalating fighting.
In a statement on September 14, the AA said the military has been using fighter jets to frequently attack areas it described as non-military targets.
The statement said an area near the suspension bridge at the foot of the hill where the historic U Raz Taw Pagoda is located in Ponnagyun Town was attacked at around 12:56 p.m. on September 13.
According to the AA, 38-year-old Daw Soe Soe of Seti Yin Village and 56-year-old U Moe Moe, a visitor from Rathedaung, were killed. Three others: nine-year-old Ma Phyu Phyu, 71-year-old Daw Kyawt Sein and 43-year-old U Aung Win Maung were injured.
The latest casualties come as fighting between the military and the AA has intensified along the Sittwe-Ponnagyun border since September 4. Thousands of residents from communities in Ponnagyun and Rathedaung have fled to safer areas amid the fighting and bombardments, according to previous DMG reporting.
The AA also cited several other recent attacks. On September 11, a drone attack on a monastery in Kyaukseik Village, Ponnagyun Township, resulted in the death of 63-year-old displaced woman Daw Hla Than Yi. DMG previously reported that she was originally from Thawinchaung Village in Werathani Township.
Also on September 11, an airstrike on Ywar Thit Kay Village in Taungup Township killed 59-year-old U Tin Maung and injured 67-year-old U Myint Shwe, while two homes were damaged, according to the AA.
In Kyeintali, Gwa Township, an airstrike on the night of September 10 killed 85-year-old U Kyaw Khin and injured 55-year-old U Chit San Maung. Nine homes were also damaged, the statement said.
The AA added that an airstrike near Bwe Li Village in Sami Township on September 12 damaged civilian homes, shops and a vehicle.
The statement also referred to the September 4 attack on the historic Gu Wa Pagoda in Ponnagyun Township. DMG previously reported that the centuries-old religious site was damaged in air and artillery attacks.
The latest incidents come amid escalating fighting across Arakan. In addition to the Sittwe-Ponnagyun front, fighting has continued in Kyaukphyu, while military pressure has also increased in southern Arakan.
Despite having lost control of most of Arakan on the ground, the military continues to pose a security threat through airstrikes and other attacks. ISP-Myanmar recently estimated that the ULA/AA controls 92.6 percent of Arakan State as well as Paletwa Township in neighbouring Chin State.
According to DMG's compiled records, 602 civilians were killed and 1,211 injured in airstrikes in Arakan between April 2024 and September 12, 2026. The figures do not include the latest casualties reported on September 13.
Residents remain concerned that civilian casualties and displacement could increase further as fighting continues on multiple fronts.
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