Myanmar junta air strike kills 28 people, rebel group says
Share:
It was not clear if airstrike in western Rakhine state was mistargeted or if junta was unaware of temporary detention area’s location. An airstrike by the Myanmar junta killed 28 people, including nine children, at a temporary detention area in western Rakhine state, a local ethnic minority rebel group said.
The Arakan Army (AA) posted on its Telegram channel that a military jet bombed a detention area in Mrauk-U Township at about 4.45pm local time on Saturday. The AA, in conflict with the country’s military, had reportedly detained family members of junta soldiers during fighting.
However, it was not clear if the airstrike in Mrauk-U Township in western Rakhine state was mistargeted or if the junta was unaware of the location of the detained family members. “Those who were killed and wounded were family members of soldiers in Myanmar’s Army. We arrested them during the fighting,” the AA claimed. The strike also injured 25 people.
“As we were preparing a plan to release them, they were bombed,” the rebel group added. The military-ruled government has consistently denied carrying out attacks on civilians. Those killed in the air strike included nine children, one of whom was a two-year-old boy, as well as several women, according to a list shared by the AA.
