The Myanmar military has stepped up offensives, deploying bombers to strike a market in Rakhine State, killing 18 civilians including 4 children, amid intense fighting to recapture 14 out of 17 towns.
On 25 February 2026, the independent news site Irrawaddy reported that Myanmar’s military sent bombers to attack Arakan Army (AA) strongholds in Ponnaju town, Rakhine State. However, bombs were dropped on a market instead, killing 18 civilians, including 4 children aged 6 to 15, and injuring 15 others, among them 3 young children aged 4 to 7.
The AA and the Ponnaju Youth Association (PYC) stated that two 300-pound bombs were dropped by fighter jets onto the market in Yo U village at about 2:00 p.m.
Mr. Ko Pyu Nyaing, chairman of the PYC, said the military dictatorship deliberately targets civilians because it has never won in battle, and condemned this as a crime against humanity.
The situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State is extremely tense after the military government continued air strikes against civilian targets following the loss of 14 out of 17 towns to the Arakan ethnic armed forces.
Meanwhile, U Wai Hun Aung, a Rakhine writer who organizes relief fundraising, revealed thatupon reaching the scene, he found that at least 13 houses surrounding the market were destroyed, with many others heavily damaged.
The Arakan Army reported that nearly throughout last year, from 3 January to 28 November, the military launched 92 air attacks on civilian targets in Rakhine State, killing 192 people and injuring over 500. From 10 December to 12 February, there were at least 15 air strikes on civilians nationwide, causing 71 deaths and dozens of injuries.
Rakhine State has suffered the highest casualties, notably on 10 December when a hospital in Maungdaw was attacked, killing 33 patients, relatives, and staff, and injuring more than 70. The ongoing situation remains alarming as many civilians endure losses amid prolonged conflict.