The major development in Arakan on 28 September 2026 was a deadly Myanmar military airstrike on the India Market and adjacent Kissapanadi Bridge over the Kaladan River in Kyauktaw. The attack struck around midday while the market, described by rescue officials as an important wholesale centre, was being used by vendors, shoppers and other civilians. Initial reports from the Arakan Army and rescue personnel recorded 33 people killed and 36 injured, but later reporting raised the toll to at least 49 dead and 58 wounded, including 22 people reported to be critically injured.

Kyauktaw has been under the control of the Arakan Army since 2024, and the Myanmar military has increasingly relied on air power against areas it no longer controls on the ground. A local aid worker told Reuters that the location struck on Monday was far from active fighting and had no connection with the immediate battlefield. Photographs and videos from Kyauktaw showed burning buildings, damaged vehicles, debris and damage to parts of the bridge. The Kissapanadi Bridge is an important crossing of the Kaladan River on the road connecting Kyauktaw with Mrauk-U, Minbya and Myebon.

The attack occurred amid an already severe humanitarian situation across Arakan. Trade restrictions and continuing warfare have contributed to shortages of food and other necessities, while large numbers of civilians remain displaced. Al Jazeera reported that nearly half a million people have been displaced in Rakhine as a consequence of the conflict. The destruction of a major market and damage to an important transportation route therefore have consequences extending beyond the immediate casualties, particularly for communities dependent on Kyauktaw for trade and supplies.

Rohingya community reports following the attack claimed that Rohingya civilians were among those affected and circulated substantially higher casualty estimates. These claims had not been independently established by the end of the day. The available international reporting did not provide a verified breakdown of the victims by ethnicity. Rohipedia therefore records these community reports as developing information requiring victim identification, survivor testimony and further corroboration.

The incident also renewed concerns among Rohingya about their vulnerability between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army. Rohingya community voices have previously alleged that AA military activity in or near Rohingya-populated civilian areas can expose residents to Myanmar military retaliation. Human-rights organizations have separately documented serious abuses and restrictions affecting Rohingya during the wider conflict. However, evidence available on 28 September did not establish that the AA deliberately caused the Kyauktaw airstrike or intentionally exposed civilians there for the purpose of attracting an attack.

rohingya man wondering
rohingya man wondering around the site of aftermath attack
The Kyauktaw bombing was not the only reported aerial attack in Arakan that day. Local reporting said Myanmar military aircraft also struck Ngapali in Thandwe Township shortly afterward. Myanmar Pressphoto Agency reported strikes around Kyauktaw at approximately 12:10 p.m. and 12:14 p.m., followed by an attack on Ngapali at approximately 12:35 p.m. The continuing use of air power demonstrates that civilians remain exposed to attack even in areas where the Myanmar military has lost territorial control.

By the end of 28 September, the full scale of the Kyauktaw casualties was still emerging. Early figures changed as rescue workers recovered additional victims, demonstrating why casualty totals from major attacks should be treated as provisional during the first hours after an incident. Identification of the dead and injured, particularly the reported Rohingya victims, remained an important outstanding task.