Regime’s Massacre of Rakhine Civilians Draws Global Condemnation
Rights groups, foreign governments and UN agencies have joined a global chorus of condemnation in response to Monday’s devastating airstrike by the military regime on a busy civilian market in the Arakan Army (AA)-controlled town of Kyauktaw in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
The attack killed 50 civilians, including a woman who was nine months’ pregnant, and injured 60, around 20 of whom are in critical condition.
“The strikes underline the grave plight faced by civilians across the country—but none more so than in Rakhine State,” UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Tuesday.
He stressed that the attack “raises serious concerns” about warring parties’ respect for international humanitarian law, adding that they “must abide by” the principles of avoiding and minimizing harm to civilians while conducting hostilities.
Around noon on Monday, a regime fighter jet dropped two 500-lb bombs, one on Kyauktaw’s crowded Indian Market and another on the nearby Kissapanadi Bridge, which serves as a gateway to the town, according to residents.
It was the deadliest ever aerial attack on civilians in Rakhine State, surpassing the slaughter of 33 civilians that occurred when the regime bombed the AA-run Mrauk-U Hospital in December 2025.
Market laborers, shoppers and travelers were among the victims of Monday’s attack. Video footage of the aftermath showed terrifying scenes of charred bodies, raging fires and widespread destruction.
Khaing Thukha, a spokesperson for the AA, which controls most of Rakhine State, told The Irrawaddy that it was the regime’s timeworn strategy to “deliberately target civilians” and “instil fear among them” whenever it sustained heavy losses on the battlefield.
“This is a clear war crime, a crime against humanity,” he said.
Earlier this month, the Myanmar regime launched Operation 4926, a major offensive aimed at retaking the territory it has lost to the AA. The operation involved simultaneous attacks on the border of Ponnagyun and Sittwe townships in Rakhine State, and on the border between Kyaukphyu and Ramree townships, in the direction of Sane town.
The AA’s strong defensive operations reportedly inflicted heavy losses on the regime, prompting it to intensify airstrikes against civilian targets.
At a briefing in New York on Tuesday, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Monday’s attack and called on all parties to end violence, protect civilians and comply with international law.
Dujarric also said the continuing violence in Rakhine showed that conditions did not exist for the safe return of refugees and other displaced people, including Rohingya. “The latest airstrike brings that reality into sharp focus,” he said, calling for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
At a high-level meeting in New York on the same day, Myanmar’s permanent representative to the UN, U Kyaw Moe Tun, urged member states to stop weapons, aviation fuel and dual-use equipment from flowing to the Myanmar regime, citing their use against civilians in the Kyauktaw airstrike.
The UK also condemned the aerial massacre. “Attacks on civilians are utterly unacceptable, and the UK condemns this devastating attack,” Indo-Pacific Minister Rosie Winterton said on Tuesday. She called for an end to airstrikes and protection for civilians.
Further condemnation came from rights groups within Myanmar and around the region. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) on Tuesday condemned the attack, demanding accountability and an end to military violence and impunity.
“The junta has relied on airstrikes and drones against populated areas across the country because it is unable to secure territory on the ground,” said APHR member Mercy Chriesty Barends.
In its latest annual report, the UN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar said the Myanmar regime has increasingly relied on aerial attacks in which “civilians are the principal victims.” The investigative body said civilians in Rakhine and elsewhere have been victims of aerial and artillery attacks and suffered due to the regime’s barriers to aid delivery.
As of August 31, nearly 1,000 civilians were killed in more than 1,200 regime airstrikes in Rakhine State since the 2021 coup, according to the now-dissolved Human Rights Ministry of the parallel National Unity Government.
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