Four Civilians, Including Three Women, Killed in a Single Day by Myanmar Junta Attacks in Rakhine

Khaing Lu Hla (Roma Mray)

Narinjara, September 21, 2026

Four Rakhine civilians, including three women, were killed in a single day on September 20 due to the deliberate targeting of residential villages by the Myanmar military junta, according to a local social activist.

The casualties spanned multiple townships: two women were killed in Rathedaung Township, one woman in Pauktaw (Wirahtani) Township, and one man in Ponnagyun Township.

Airstrike in Ponnagyun Township

In Ponnagyun Township, 55-year-old U Saw Thein was killed during a junta airstrike on Kala Chaung village on the evening of September 20.

"At around 3:30 p.m., a junta jet fighter dropped two 500-pound bombs on Kala Chaung village. U Saw Thein died on the spot," a local resident reported. One of the bombs directly struck U Saw Thein's home, killing him instantly, while the second bomb detonated nearby, destroying several surrounding houses.

Artillery Fire in Rathedaung Township

Later that day, shortly after 10:00 p.m., junta army battalions based in Sittwe intentionally fired heavy artillery shells toward communities on Muse Island (Muse Kyunt) in Rathedaung Township. The shelling killed a mother and her daughter, identified as Daw Aye Nu (72) and Daw Ma Shwe Tin (42).

Airstrike in Pauktaw Township

Earlier in the day, at around 1:00 a.m. on September 20, the military junta conducted an airstrike on Taung Phu Village in Pauktaw Township. The attack killed 32-year-old Daw Win Myat Aye, a native of Ponnagyun Township who was visiting the village, and seriously injured Daw Aye Khin Thein (43).

The bombardment also caused extensive damage to residential homes, the local village monastery, school buildings, and a revered local religious landmark, the Taung Phu Buddha image.

Locals report that the junta has intensified its continuous bombing and artillery campaigns against civilian villages in Rakhine State as it faces heavy casualties and territorial losses in the ongoing battle for Sittwe.