More than five years after the military coup, the junta launched a new offensive in September to retake Rakhine State, intensifying airstrikes against civilians and employing double-tap strikes

Yo Chaung Bridge, located in Kyauktaw Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar, damaged by military junta airstrikes on November 1, 2026. © Telegram / @AA Info Desk

On November 1, airstrikes carried out by the Myanmar military killed 12 people and injured 32 civilians across Rakhine State, in western Myanmar. Photographs sent by an eyewitness to the Observers editorial team show injured people and charred bodies on Yo Chaung Bridge, as well as near a makeshift maternity clinic in the town of Mrauk-U.

Civilians in Rakhine State have been particularly vulnerable to airstrikes by the Myanmar military since their launch of the “Yan Naing Min” The King Defeats the Enemy offensive on September 4. The junta seeks to retake this strategically important state, nearly 90% of which is reportedly controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), an Ethnic Armed Organisation (EAO).

Since the military coup on February 1, 2021 which overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar has plunged into a devastating civil war pitting the military junta against pro-democracy armed groups and EAOs. More than 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict, according to figures published in July 2026 by ACLED, a company that monitors international conflict.

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At around 5.30pm on November 1, a bomb that dropped on Yo Chaung Bridge in Kyauktaw Township killed seven people and injured seven others. At the same time, a temporary clinic in Mrauk-U was bombed. Five people, including a newborn baby, were killed and nine others injured.

Wai Hun Aung, a local humanitarian worker, described the scene:

“When I arrived, the pregnant women and infants were already being evacuated. Nearby, I saw the bodies of a man and two women who had been killed. One side of the building where the patients’ families were staying had partially collapsed.”

'They dropped a bomb, followed by an incendiary bomb'

The Myanmar military has sometimes used double-tap strikes against civilian targets – a practice documented by the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM). This tactic involves carrying out a second attack shortly after the first, often targeting people who have rushed to help the wounded.

A resident described a double airstrike on a displacement camp near Ponnagyun, in Rakhine State:

“On October 4, at around 5pm, two junta fighter jets made two consecutive passes over a displacement camp near the village of Thayet Cho, in Ponnagyun Township. They dropped a bomb, followed by an incendiary bomb, killing six civilians and injuring eleven others.”

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“The following morning, the junta carried out another airstrike against a different displacement camp. The areas targeted in these attacks are places where displaced people live, not military targets.”

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According to Sun Mon, an ACLED analyst from Myanmar, airstrikes have intensified since Ye Win Oo was appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces on March 30, 2026. He succeeds Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 coup and became president on April 3, 2026 following a controversial election.

“Since his appointment, the military has been deploying multiple fighter jets to strike the same target and making widespread use of double-tap strikes.”

'The military junta targets any location where large numbers of people gather'

According to the Myanmar Defense & Security Institute (MDSI), airstrikes killed or injured 144 civilians in Rakhine State in September 2026. Among the deadliest was the September 28 attack on India Market and the Kissapanadi Bridge, which left at least 50 civilians dead and 58 injured.

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Sun Mon, an ACLED analyst, condemned what she describes as a recurring pattern:  

 “The military junta targets any location where large numbers of people gather. This includes attacks on markets, schools, hospitals, monasteries and even weddings.”

According to Myanmar Witness, an organisation specialising in the analysis of evidence of human rights violations in Myanmar, almost all of the 58 airstrikes it documented in September targeted civilian infrastructure and property.

This chart by Myanmar Witness breaks down the targets of the 58 documented airstrikes in Myanmar in September 2026 by category. According to the data, 43.9% targeted civilian property, 14.6% religious infrastructure, 8.5% educational facilities and 4.9% commercial infrastructure. © MyanmarWitness via X

'An unusually loud noise during takeoff indicates that the aircraft is carrying bombs'

Telegram channels have been set up to issue alerts when aircraft take off from military bases. An administrator of one such channel, Witness Enemy Air Scout, explained to us how it operates:

“Our teams monitor military aircraft takeoffs because they cannot be detected by radar. An unusually loud noise during takeoff indicates that an aircraft is carrying bombs. Our channel issues yellow alerts  whenever aircraft take off carrying bombs and red alerts when airstrikes are underway.” 

Despite the efforts of volunteers who report aircraft takeoffs and track their flight paths, effectively monitoring their movements and alerting residents within time remains difficult, particularly because of internet outages.

On the Witness Enemy Air Scout Telegram channel, we found that on the day of the attack on India Market – which killed around 50 people – an alert was issued at 11.08am reporting an aircraft taking off from the Naypyidaw airbase.

However, the first report of an aircraft from that base flying over Kyauktaw at 12.10pm (local time) was not published until 12.13pm, even though according to local reports, the two bombs fell between 12.10 and 12.14pm.

Screenshot of a message posted September 28 on the Witness Enemy Air Scout Telegram channel, reporting an aircraft originating from Naypyidaw circling over Kyauktaw at 12.10pm local time. © Witness Enemy Air Scout via Telegram

'Rakhine State is of great strategic importance to China'

Sun Mon highlights the strategic importance of Rakhine State to China, one of the Myanmar military's most important allies:

“Rakhine State is of great strategic importance to China. China is developing transport and mining projects there, as well as a port that provides it with strategic access to the Indian Ocean.”

The main obstacle to the plans of Myanmar's junta and its Chinese ally is the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed organisation (EAO) founded in 2009 that is fighting for the independence of Rakhine State.

“The Arakan Army, which controls 90% of Rakhine, is intensifying its attacks, particularly targeting Kyaukphyu, a coastal town that hosts Chinese economic projects.”

According to Sun Mon, over the course of the conflict, the AA has established itself as one of the main armed groups opposing Myanmar's military junta and enjoys considerable support among the local population. However, it has also been accused of abuses against the Rohingya minority, including the destruction of villages and forced recruitment.

'Strategic interests seem to come first'

The Myanmar junta receives military and economic support from Russia and India. The United States has also resumed its dialogue with the junta, driven by its own strategic interests: containing China, gaining access to Myanmar's rare earth resources and dismantling cyber-scam centres. Trade ties with the European Union remain significant: the EU was Myanmar's fourth-largest trading partner in 2025.

Sun Mon deplores how to her, the interests of major powers seem to come before the needs of the people:

“We do not see how the international community can provide meaningful support to the people of Myanmar, because strategic interests seem to come first.”