A Myanmar military airstrike on a busy market in Rakhine state has killed at least 33 people and wounded 36 others, according to rebel and rescue officials.

The Arakan Army said a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market in the town of Kyauktaw at noon local time on Monday. Those killed included vendors, shoppers, and pedestrians. The group warned the death toll "may continue to increase."

Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, confirmed the details to sources. He described the market as the region's main wholesale centre, drawing traders and shoppers from across the state.

"This is one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine," he said.

Photos and videos posted on social media showed buildings on fire, damaged vehicles, and parts of a nearby bridge destroyed.

Myanmar's military did not immediately comment. It has previously stated that it strikes only legitimate military targets and has accused resistance groups of "terrorism."

Myanmar has been in conflict since the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi was ousted in a military coup in 2021. A nationwide resistance movement has since evolved into a civil war between the military government and an array of armed ethnic and pro-democracy groups.

President Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's former military chief, was elected by a military-backed parliament in April, formalising his grip on power after five years of army rule.

The Arakan Army is a well-trained and well-armed group seeking autonomy for Rakhine's ethnic minority. It launched an offensive in November 2023 and has since captured strategically important military headquarters and 14 of the state's 17 townships.

Monday's strike is the latest in a series of military assaults against pro-democracy and ethnic armed groups since the 2021 coup. In December, a military airstrike on a hospital in Rakhine's Mrauk U township killed at least 33 people and wounded 70 others.

The military has imposed severe restrictions on trade routes to Rakhine since fighting there intensified, worsening food shortages in the region.

Nearly half a million people are displaced in Rakhine as a result of the conflict, according to United Nations data. The UN stated in August that the human rights situation in Myanmar has deteriorated "to a new low," citing "brutal abuse" against the Rohingya minority and the devastating impact of illicit economic activity, including illegal mining for rare earth minerals.

Both rebel groups and the military are now using drones in the conflict, which has killed more than 100,000 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project.