A Myanmar military airstrike on a market in western Rakhine state killed at least 33 people and wounded 36 others on Monday, according to the Arakan Army, a rebel faction controlling the area.
The strike occurred around midday on a market and adjacent bridge in Kyauktaw town. The Arakan Army said in a statement that the death toll "may continue to increase" as rescue efforts continued.
A witness who requested anonymity for safety reasons saw more than 30 bodies at the scene on Monday afternoon. Human remains were visible among smoldering wreckage and cratered roads. Smoke billowed from fires in the residential area following the strike.
Aid worker Wai Hun Aung confirmed the casualty figures reported by the Arakan Army. A woman named Khaing Nu, 57, was searching for her younger sister, a market vendor, who remained missing in the aftermath as firefighters doused flames and recovered bodies were laid out in ranks under green plastic sheeting.
Survivors reportedly suffered hearing loss from the blast. Young women were among those killed in the strike.
Kyauktaw is located far from active fighting zones. The airstrike is one of the deadliest in Rakhine since a hospital attack in December 2025.
Myanmar has faced ongoing conflict since a 2021 military coup. Armed groups including the Arakan Army have fought the military amid widespread turmoil. The western state of Rakhine has experienced some of the most severe conditions in the country's civil war.