Arakan records most junta airstrikes in Myanmar, BNI report finds

By Admin 29 Oct 2026

DMG Newsroom

29 October 2026, Yangon

Arakan (Rakhine) State recorded the highest number of Myanmar military airstrikes nationwide between September 10 and October 7, according to the latest report by Burma News International's Myanmar Peace Monitor (BNI-MPM).

The report documented 93 airstrike incidents carried out by the military junta across Myanmar during the four-week period, including 35 in Arakan, accounting for nearly 38 percent of the nationwide total.

Arakan also recorded 12 of the 51 armed conflict events documented during the period, the highest number among Myanmar's states and regions.

The findings highlight the continuing intensity of military operations in Arakan, where the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed organisation, controls 14 of the state's 17 townships.

According to BNI-MPM, junta airstrikes nationwide nearly doubled from 48 in the previous reporting period to 93, despite a decline in recorded armed conflict events from 63 to 51.

The report identified the September 28 military airstrike on India Market in AA-controlled Kyauktaw Township as the single incident causing the highest number of civilian casualties during the reporting period.

Nationwide, BNI-MPM documented 358 conflict-related deaths, including 214 civilians, 134 junta personnel and 10 members of People's Defence Forces (PDFs).

Arakan recorded 81 civilian deaths, the highest figure among the states and regions covered. Nationwide civilian fatalities increased from 144 in the previous reporting period to 214.

The report also documented approximately 11,000 people newly displaced nationwide, including 1,000 in Arakan, amid armed clashes, artillery shelling and attacks on civilian homes.

As of October 7, BNI-MPM estimated that more than 4.7 million people had been internally displaced across Myanmar since the February 2021 military coup.

Beyond its conflict statistics, the report examined China's growing involvement in Myanmar's political and military developments.

It highlighted remarks by Chinese Special Envoy Deng Xijun on October 15, encouraging discussions on greater autonomy for ethnic minorities.

BNI-MPM suggested that Beijing's approach could allow ethnic armed organisations, including the AA, to retain control of captured territories while potentially helping the military regime preserve its political position.

However, the report warned that efforts to divide ethnic resistance organisations from the National Unity Government (NUG) and other anti-junta forces could deepen political divisions rather than help resolve Myanmar's conflict.

BNI-MPM argued that China should recognise the shared political objectives of resistance forces seeking to end military dictatorship and establish a federal democratic union.

The monitoring programme draws on reporting from 15 BNI member media organisations and other news sources. It cautioned that actual conflict incidents, airstrikes and displacement figures may exceed documented totals because of reporting difficulties in conflict-affected areas.