Arakan records highest civilian death toll in Myanmar mass killings: NLTA

By Admin 13 Nov 2026

DMG Newsroom

13 November 2026, Yangon

Arakan State recorded the highest civilian death toll from mass killing incidents across Myanmar during the third quarter of 2026, with at least 77 people killed, according to a report by independent research group Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica (NLTA).

The report documented at least 23 mass killing incidents across 22 townships nationwide between July and September, resulting in at least 207 civilian deaths. The incidents involved attacks attributed to Myanmar's military regime and killings by unidentified armed groups.

Arakan suffered the highest death toll, followed by Sagaing Region with 36 deaths and Mandalay Region with 22.

Military airstrikes accounted for the largest share of the killings, with 13 incidents resulting in at least 146 civilian deaths nationwide.

Arakan and Sagaing each recorded four airstrike-related mass killing incidents, resulting in 77 and 36 deaths, respectively, NLTA said.

The deadliest attack occurred on September 28, when Myanmar military fighter jets bombed the crowded India Market and an area near the Kissapanadi Bridge over the Kaladan River in Kyauktaw Township, Arakan State.

The attack killed 50 civilians and injured 57 others, making it the deadliest incident documented during the reporting period.

Another major attack occurred on August 21, when a military fighter jet struck a meditation centre inside a monastery compound in Myaung Township, Sagaing Region, killing 16 civilians and injuring 28 others.

Beyond airstrikes, NLTA documented three mass killing incidents during military village raids in Magway and Tanintharyi regions, resulting in 15 civilian deaths.

The report also recorded a paramotor bombing in Magway Region that killed six civilians, including children, and two military drone attacks in eastern Bago and Karenni regions that killed 11 people.

In Karenni State's Hpruso Township, an August 4 drone attack killed five civilians, including a six-month-old infant, according to the report.

Four additional incidents involving extrajudicial killings resulted in 29 deaths in Mandalay and Karen regions. Some were attributed to unidentified armed groups rather than the military.

NLTA's figures show that at least 822 civilians were killed in mass killing incidents nationwide during the first nine months of 2026, compared with 1,592 throughout 2025.

The organisation defines a massacre as the deliberate killing of at least five defenceless civilians in a single incident. Its findings were compiled from reports published by 43 independent media outlets and statements issued by revolutionary organisations.

The findings highlight the continuing threat to civilians across Myanmar, particularly in Arakan, where military airstrikes accounted for all 77 deaths documented during the reporting period.

DMG has not independently verified all the incidents and casualty figures recorded by NLTA.