BANGKOK — In a devastating incident on Wednesday, January 9, an airstrike conducted by Myanmar’s military on the village of Kyauk Ni Maw, located on Ramree Island, has tragically killed approximately 40 civilians and injured at least 20 more, as reported by officials from the ethnic Arakan Army and local humanitarian groups. The attack also sparked fires which ravaged over 500 houses, adding to the catastrophic aftermath of this military operation.

The airstrike occurred in an area controlled by the Arakan Army, a well-armed ethnic military group pushing for greater autonomy from Myanmar's central government. Amid ongoing violence since the military's coup in February 2021, the situation has worsened over the last few years, with increasing airstrikes against various pro-democracy factions and ethnic armed groups in Myanmar.

Eyewitness accounts highlighted that all fatalities were civilians, including women and children. "All the dead were civilians," confirmed Khaing Thukha, a spokesperson for the Arakan Army, stating that the airstrike on the village had led to severe civilian suffering. A leader from a local charity further indicated that the airstrike targeted the village's main market, emphasizing the indiscriminate nature of the attack and the lack of military justification.

As reported, access to the village was severely restricted due to internet outages and disrupted cellphone services, hindering independent verification of the events. While the military government has not issued any statements on this assault, reports from local media and humanitarian organizations, including Rakhine news outlets, corroborated the casualty figures and destruction caused by the bombing.

Over the past years, the Arakan Army has gained significant territorial control in Rakhine, capturing many townships previously held by the military, with ongoing offensives indicating a shifting power dynamic in the region. This latest act of violence marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict that has already displaced millions and generated a humanitarian crisis in the state.

The airstrike represents a grim reminder of the fragile stability in Myanmar, where numerous ethnic groups continue to fight for autonomy in the face of a military government heavily criticized for its violent suppressive tactics. Rakhine state, historically the site of brutal military campaigns, remains a focal point of this ongoing turmoil, originally evidenced by the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims following military operations in 2017.

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