22 April 2026 By Kan Htun
KYAUKTAW, Myanmar — The Myanmar military has launched a massive aerial bombardment on Kyauktaw Township in Rakhine State, using both fighter jets and Y-12 transport planes to strike areas near the Aka Taung mountain range and the Pi Chaung region.
Local residents reported that the assault began shortly after 2:00 PM on Wednesday. Witnesses described a coordinated attack, with a jet fighter dropping at least 12 heavy bombs before a Y-12 aircraft arrived an hour later to continue the bombardment.
“We heard 12 massive explosions. The jets are still circling overhead as we speak,” a local man from Kyauktaw told MPA. Another witness confirmed that the Y-12 plane appeared to be circling residential areas, dropping ordnance indiscriminately.
While the full extent of the casualties and property damage has yet to be verified due to the ongoing volatility, the psychological toll on the local population is evident. “We have to be on alert at all times,” a local woman said. “Two large unexploded bombs from a previous strike are still sitting near the local military headquarters, and now they are dropping even more. The noise is deafening and terrifying.”
The intensified air campaign in Rakhine State comes at a time when the military junta has publicly invited ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) to engage in peace negotiations. However, critics and residents say the military’s actions on the ground contradict its diplomatic rhetoric.
“They talk about peace, but they rain bombs on us every day,” a resident added. This latest strike follows a devastating attack on April 19 in neighbouring Mrauk-U, where military jets bombed the Kyauksepyin village monastery, injuring 13 people, including Buddhist monks.
Rakhine State has become a primary battlefield for the military junta as it struggles to contain the advances of the Arakan Army (AA). The use of Y-12 transport planes—originally designed for cargo but repurposed by the military to drop makeshift unguided bombs—signals a growing reliance on aerial terror to maintain territorial control.
As the smoke rises over the Aka Taung mountains, the international community remains concerned that the escalating air war in western Myanmar will lead to another massive wave of displacement and a worsening humanitarian disaster in an already fragile region.
