NAYPYIDAW: A blast rocked a bustling market in Myanmar’s strife-torn Rakhine state on Thursday, resulting in the deaths and injuries of several civilians as both the country’s military junta and an ethnic rebel group pointed fingers at each other for the attack.
Clashes have been ongoing in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state since November, following an assault by the Arakan Army (AA) on security forces, marking the end of a ceasefire that had largely held since the military coup in 2021.
The AA is among several armed ethnic minority factions in Myanmar’s border regions, engaging in prolonged conflicts with the military since the nation gained independence from Britain in 1948, primarily over issues of autonomy and control of valuable resources.
12 Civilians Killed in Myanmar Market Blast
According to a statement from the AA’s political wing, a junta naval vessel bombarded the bustling “Korea port” market in the state capital, Sittwe, early on Thursday. The attack resulted in the deaths of 12 civilians, with 31 others critically wounded and an additional 50 sustaining minor injuries. The AA accused the junta of deliberately targeting the civilian population.
Meanwhile, the junta attributed the blast to “careless heavy artillery shooting” by the AA, acknowledging casualties among the local populace without specifying numbers. However, local media reported seven fatalities and around 30 injuries, though these figures remain unverified.
Sittwe, under junta control, has witnessed intensified fighting in surrounding areas as AA insurgents have made territorial gains in recent weeks. Communication with the coastal town remains severely restricted, with most mobile networks disrupted.
The conflict has also spilled over into neighboring countries, with clashes between Myanmar forces and rebels causing casualties in India and Bangladesh. Earlier this month, mortar shells fired from Myanmar during cross-border clashes resulted in fatalities in Bangladesh, prompting heightened tensions in the region. In response to the escalating violence, India urged its citizens in Rakhine to evacuate immediately.
