Rebels say Myanmar airstrike hit market far from fighting, killing 33

A Myanmar military airstrike hit a market and nearby bridge in Kyauktaw, Rakhine state, on Monday, killing at least 33 people and injuring 36, according to the Arakan Army and local aid worker Wai Hun Aung. The rebel group, which controls the area, warned the death toll could rise. Reuters said it could not independently verify the details. Wai Hun Aung described Kyauktaw, a riverside town in the north of Rakhine state bordering Bangladesh, as quite far from the fighting and having nothing to do with the conflict. A spokesman for the Myanmar government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The government has previously said the military exercises maximum restraint to avoid civilian harm. The airstrike is among the deadliest reported in Rakhine in recent months, comparable to a December airstrike on a hospital in Mrauk U that killed at least 30 people. Myanmar has been in civil war since a 2021 military coup.