Myanmar Airstrikes kill over 25 at trading hub in Magway region

Myanmar’s military carried out airstrikes on a busy trading point in the central Magway region on Sunday, killing more than two dozen people and injuring at least 20 others , according to resistance groups and independent media reports.

The attack occurred near Pyaung village, west of Mindon township , at a roadside hub where villagers and truck drivers gather to exchange food and supplies. Witnesses said two fighter jets bombed the area twice within minutes , destroying several vehicles and leaving bodies scattered across the site.

A spokesperson for a local resistance unit said at least 25 people, including two women, were killed , while about 14 vehicles were burned or damaged . Rescue teams were carrying out search and cremation operations. Independent media outlets placed the death toll between 20 and 25 . The military has not issued any statement on the incident.

The trading junction connects Magway region with neighbouring Rakhine State , where the Arakan Army , an ethnic armed group seeking greater autonomy, has captured most townships since launching an offensive late last year. Local reports said many of the victims were traders from Rakhine .

Security analysts say such trading points are often targeted because the military suspects they serve as supply routes for resistance fighters , providing food, fuel and goods . Markets and transport hubs are viewed as strategic locations in areas where the army has limited ground control .

The strike follows a pattern of increasing air attacks on civilian areas across Myanmar. Last week, an airstrike on a village market in Ponnagyun Township reportedly killed at least 17 people .

Myanmar has been in conflict since the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 . After peaceful protests were crushed, armed resistance spread across much of the country. Human rights groups say air power has become a key tactic of the military, often resulting in civilian casualties .