02/10/2026
■ TNISO points out that military propagandists are using a 2023 Google Earth satellite image, mislabeling locations to mislead the public about the Kyauktaw market bombing
Ro Verses News | October 2
TNISO, an information-monitoring organization, has pointed out that military supporters and propagandists are using a Google Earth satellite image taken in early 2023 and deliberately placing incorrect location labels on it in an attempt to mislead the public about the airstrike on India Market in Kyauktaw, Rakhine State.
Following an airstrike near a market in Kyauktaw town on September 28, military supporters have reportedly been distributing information about the incident on social media in both Burmese and English, according to a statement released by TNISO on October 2.
TNISO says that some of these posts use a satellite image obtained from Google Earth in early 2023, with certain buildings and locations labeled as an AA boat dock, a fuel storage facility, barracks where AA personnel live, a ULA/AA office, a customs area, and a DELPS office.
However, after comparing the satellite image with drone footage released by the Arakan Army following the airstrike, TNISO says that the locations labeled by military supporters and propagandists do not correspond to the current conditions on the ground.
TNISO also says that labeling the area that was burned by the airstrike as a fuel storage facility creates and spreads an unsubstantiated claim that the Arakan Army had stored fuel inside the crowded civilian market.
TNISO further points out that military-supporting Telegram channels have shared images of Arakan Army personnel carrying out rescue operations after the airstrike and have presented the incident in a way that suggests, “The bombing was carried out because AA members were there.”
According to TNISO, mixing accurate information with false or misleading information in this way, in order to confuse the public's understanding of an incident, is known as “information laundering.”
TNISO also states that Kyauktaw Township was among the areas that the Arakan Army brought under its control during 2024.
Photo caption: The texts inside the yellow boxes in the image are false or misleading information created by military propagandists. The remaining images are genuine ground-level photographs released by the Arakan Army (AA), taken after the bombing.