At least 25 civilians, including Rakhine traders, were killed in an airstrike by the Myanmar junta on trucks carrying goods to Rakhine near Prong village under  Mindon township of Magway region, said local residents.

The airstrike occurred at around 11 am  on 1 March, resulting in the deaths of 25 people including two women and injuries to 15 others. The area where the bombing took place is a route for exporting goods from Magway division, said a local trader.

"The Rakhine traders were also among the deceased. Some trucks were burned down while they stopped on the road for a break. I believe they were tipped off by someone. There was chaos with bodies scattered, and the goods on the trucks were also destroyed. The Fuso trucks and goods were burned," added the trader.

The junta has enforced a strict ban on the export of goods to Rakhine from Burma proper, including Yangon, making it a challenging job to transport goods secretly by trucks.

The traders claimed that the airstrikes targeted a parking lot of trucks in Minden township.

After the military airstrikes, some bodies were seen scattered on the ground.  Eight Fuso trucks and other goods were also burned.

Two fighter jets dropped 10 bombs with weights 200 and 300 pound. The bombing with a continuous barrage of rockets caused extensive damages in the area.

The search for more victims is still going on and the number of casualties may increase. Some of the injured individuals are still in critical condition at the hospital.