Burmese military airstrikes kill seven civilians, including a child, in Rakhine State, rebels report

The Arakan Army rebel group reported that Burmese military airstrikes killed seven civilians, including a five-year-old child, in a residential area of western Rakhine State on Thursday. The group stated that military aircraft attacked Kyauktaw township and the area around Lanmadaw village's market. Nineteen people were injured, and approximately thirty buildings, including homes and businesses, were destroyed and set ablaze.

This latest attack adds to a pattern of violence in the region. Similar bombings occurred on Sunday and Monday in Gwa township, also in Rakhine State, resulting in three civilian deaths and four injuries, according to the Arakan Army. The United Nations and human rights organizations have accused the military of civilian killings since the 2021 coup led by General Min Aung Hlaing, which ended a decade of democratic transition and intensified the country's long-standing guerrilla warfare.

Despite the resistance's gains in territory over the past five years, the military maintains air and artillery superiority, partly due to arms acquired from countries like China and Russia. The military government, led by Min Aung Hlaing, who declared himself president after elections with no real opposition in December, is seeking international recognition. Data released Thursday by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners of Burma indicates that 22,210 people are detained by the military, and 8,098 have died at their hands.

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The Arakan Army rebel group reported that Burmese military airstrikes killed seven civilians, including a child, in western Rakhine State.