At least 12 civilians, including teenagers and women, were killed when Myanmar’s military launched an airstrike on the ancient town of Mrauk-U in Rakhine State, the Arakan Army (AA) said on Monday (August 25).

The strike hit Daing Kyi quarter near the old palace on August 25, leaving 20 others wounded and eight homes destroyed. Residents described scenes of horror in the aftermath of the attack. “The situation was terrible. A lot of people were killed,” one survivor told The Irrawaddy.

The AA, which seized control of Mrauk-U in January 2024, accused the junta of deliberately targeting civilians and condemned the assault as a war crime. The ethnic armed group said it would compile evidence and submit proof of crimes against humanity to international organizations.

Mrauk-U, renowned for its centuries-old temples and pagodas, has witnessed some of the heaviest bombardments in recent months. According to AA figures, at least 86 people have been killed this year in junta air raids across Mrauk-U, Ramree, Rathedaung, and Kyauktaw townships.

The AA has tightened its hold over western Myanmar, claiming control of 14 out of 17 townships in Rakhine State and Paletwa in neighboring Chin State since launching its major offensive in late 2023. Only the state capital Sittwe, along with Manaung and Kyaukphyu, remain under junta control.

Fierce clashes continue around Kyaukphyu, home to a China-backed deep-sea port and vital oil-and-gas pipelines. The Dhanyawadi Naval Base, a strategic military stronghold, has been a flashpoint of fighting since February.

The latest airstrike underscores the escalating civilian toll of Myanmar’s intensifying conflict, now approaching its fourth year since the 2021 military coup.

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