Junta Airstrike Injures Eight Civilians in Western Myanmar’s Rakhine State

A military airstrike on a village in northern Rakhine (Arakan) State on Sept. 28 injured eight civilians, including a child, as Myanmar’s ruling junta steps up aerial bombardments across the conflict-torn region, according to local residents and rescue workers.

A Y-12 utility aircraft originating from the Magway airbase dropped three bombs on Sunye Village in Minbya Township at around 7:00 a.m. The strike injured eight residents aged between 13 and 70.

Among the casualties, a woman sustained shrapnel wounds to her neck, while a 16-year-old boy suffered severe injuries to his leg.

Local residents reported that Minbya Township was targeted by consecutive airstrikes on Sept. 27 and Sept. 28.

Ground sources highlighted the escalating danger to non-combatants, urging the Arakan Army (AA)—the ethnic armed group that controls much of the region—to bolster air-raid warning systems, while calling on civilians to construct household bomb shelters.

The Minbya attack reflects a broader surge in military air raids across the state.

Between Sept. 17 and Sept. 27, junta aircraft targeted civilian areas across nine townships—Ann, Minbya, Gwa, Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun, Pauktaw, Rathedaung, Thandwe, and Mrauk-U—killing at least six civilians and injuring 16 others, according to local monitors and AA statements.

Residents and local observers attribute the intensified air campaign to the regime's military setbacks on the ground.

As junta troops struggle to push forward along the Rakhine-Ayeyarwady regional border and attempt to retake Thandwe and Gwa townships, the military has increasingly relied on heavy artillery, naval shelling, and air power.

In a statement issued on Sept. 27, the Arakan Army accused the junta of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure—including villages, schools, religious buildings, and medical facilities—whenever its ground forces suffer losses.

The AA urged residents to take air-raid warnings seriously, avoid public gatherings, and systematically construct shelters.

Meanwhile, local aid groups face mounting challenges in delivering emergency care.

Humanitarian workers report severe shortages of medical supplies due to junta-imposed transport blockades, compounded by repeated airstrikes on hospitals and clinics across northern Rakhine.