An airstrike in Myanmar has resulted in the deaths of 40 people and injuries to 20 others, according to the rebel group Arakan Army (AA), as reported by the Associated Press. The AA claims that the Myanmar military conducted the attack.
The incident occurred yesterday in a village on the Ramree Peninsula in the western Rakhine State, where the military and AA have been long engaged in a power struggle. According to AA, a fighter jet bombed the village, destroying more than 500 homes.
The news cannot be independently verified due to the area’s isolation. Rakhine has witnessed years of violent conflict, which intensified after the military ousted democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.
The Arakan Army controls much of the state. The Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Rakhine, face persecution and discrimination from both the AA and the military regime.
Both parties have been accused of human rights violations by the United Nations.
Source: NOS