Myanmar Military Airstrikes Kill One, Injure Three in Rakhine State

A Myanmar military airstrike targeted Kyaukseik village in Ponnagyun Township and Kutaung village in Rathedaung Township, Rakhine (Arakan) State, killing one resident and injuring three others on the night of Sept. 30, according to local sources.

At around 9 p.m., a military jet bombed Kyaukseik, a site near Ponnagyun town sheltering internally displaced persons (IDPs). The attack injured two civilians: four-year-old Maung Nay Kyaw Lin, who suffered severe leg injuries, and 26-year-old Ma Khin Khin Than, who sustained serious shrapnel wounds across her body.

"A military jet was circling and bombing areas around Ponnagyun all night," a local resident said. "Kyaukseik hosts many displaced civilians, and several injuries were reported."

Residents reported that a formation of jet fighters carried out continuous airstrikes on Ponnagyun town and surrounding areas beginning Wednesday evening.

Later that night, shortly after 10 p.m., military forces bombed Kutaung village on Mosel Island in neighboring Rathedaung Township, killing 51-year-old U Aung Tun Thein and injuring his 41-year-old wife, Daw Win Nu.

"The bomb hit a residential home, striking a married couple. The husband died on the spot and his wife was injured," a Rathedaung resident said. "Nearby homes were destroyed, and some villagers are now fleeing."

The strikes are part of an ongoing aerial campaign by the Myanmar military targeting civilian areas across Rakhine State amid escalating conflict. Heavy clashes between military forces and the Arakan Army (AA) continue in Sittwe Township, with aerial bombardments also hitting civilian settlements in Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, and Werathani townships.

The attack follows a devastating airstrike on Sept. 28 in Kyauktaw town, where two 500-pound bombs hit the India Market and Kissapanadi Bridge, killing 50 people and injuring at least 58 others.