Yangon (AFP) – Myanmar’s military said 28 insurgents were killed during renewed clashes in western Rakhine state on Sunday following a palpable uptick in violence in the strife-torn region.
In a statement published online the military said 22 attackers armed with swords were killed near Dar Gyi Zar village after they charged at soldiers, adding another six insurgents were killed during clashes elsewhere in the state.
Northern Rakhine, which is home to the Muslim Rohingya minority and borders Bangladesh, has been under military lockdown ever since surprise raids on border posts left nine police dead last month.
Soldiers have killed several dozen people and arrested scores in their hunt for the attackers, who the government says are radicalised Rohingya militants with links to overseas Islamists.
Fresh fighting flared on Saturday with two soldiers and six attackers killed, according to the military who said they brought in helicopter gunships to repel an ambush.
The crisis and reports of grave rights abuses being carried out in tandem with the security crackdown have piled international pressure on Myanmar’s new civilian government and raised questions about its ability to control its military.
Authorities have heavily restricted access to the area, making it difficult to independently verify government reports or accusations of army abuse.
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