1 October :At least 50 people have been killed and dozens more injured in an airstrike by Myanmar’s military junta in Kyauktaw, a town in Rakhine State near the Bangladesh border, according to local sources. Residents said women and children were among those killed in Monday’s attack.
The United Nations expressed concern over the reported airstrike on Tuesday, 29 September. Speaking at a press briefing in New York, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the situation in Rakhine made clear that conditions were still not in place for the safe return of Rohingya refugees currently sheltering in Bangladesh and other countries.
Dujarric, speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, condemned the reported attack and called for the protection of civilians and respect for international law. Guterres also urged an immediate end to the violence.
The Arakan Army, an armed group based in Rakhine, said 50 people were killed and 58 others injured in the airstrike. Local charity worker Wai Han Aung also confirmed the reported casualty figures, according to reports.
Images released after the attack reportedly showed women’s and children’s bodies being recovered from beneath the rubble.
Khaing Thukha, a spokesperson for the Arakan Army, alleged that Myanmar’s junta air force deliberately targeted crowded markets, schools, residential areas and civilians. Reports in local media also identified a market as the site of the attack.
Source: United Nations and local sources