At least 17 civilians, including women and children, were killed in air strikes carried out by Myanmar’s military government on a village market in the country’s western Rakhine state, according to local sources and rebel group statements.

The attack reportedly targeted a busy marketplace in an area controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group engaged in fierce fighting with Myanmar’s junta. Witnesses said the strike occurred during daytime hours, when vendors and residents had gathered at the market, resulting in significant civilian casualties.

In a statement, the Arakan Army listed the names of 17 “innocent civilians,” including three children, who were killed in the bombardment. The group added that at least 15 people were wounded in the strike, several of them critically.

Local residents described scenes of chaos and devastation, with makeshift stalls destroyed and nearby homes damaged by the blast. Emergency responders and villagers rushed to pull survivors from the debris as smoke billowed from the site.

Rakhine state has witnessed escalating violence in recent months amid renewed clashes between Myanmar’s military rulers and ethnic armed organisations. Air strikes have increasingly been used by the junta in contested areas, drawing criticism from human rights groups over the rising toll on civilians.

Myanmar has been gripped by turmoil since the military seized power in a coup in 2021, ousting the elected government and triggering widespread resistance across the country. Fighting between the military and various armed groups has intensified in several regions, including Rakhine, displacing thousands of people and deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis.

There was no immediate comment from the military authorities regarding the reported strike. Independent verification of casualty figures remains difficult due to restricted access to conflict-hit areas.

The latest attack is expected to heighten international concern over civilian safety and the worsening conflict in western Myanmar.