49 killed in Myanmar as junta carries airstrikes in rebel-controlled Rakhine

NEW DELHI: An airstrike by Myanmar's military near a market in rebel-controlled territory in western Rakhine state killed at least 49 people and injured 58 others on Monday, according to the Arakan army and a rescue official.The attack took place in Kyauktaw township, about 340 km (210 miles) west of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. The area is controlled by the Arakan Army, a powerful ethnic armed group operating in Rakhine.According to the Arakan Army, a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market around noon, killing vendors, shoppers and pedestrians. Of the 58 people injured, 22 were in critical condition, the group said.Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, confirmed the casualties to The Associated Press, citing rescue workers at the scene.