Burma-Myanmar: Myanmar says 30 Aqa Mul Mujahidin guerilla fighters killed in clashes after Rakhine border raids
Myanmar has said 30 guerilla fighters have been killed in clashes over the weekend in the restive Rakhine state.
Reports had emerged last week about clashes in the border region in northwestern Myanmar between government forces and armed militants.
“We now have 30 insurgents dead and 29 captured alive,” national police chief Zaw said in capital Naypyidaw on Monday, Radio Free Asia reported.
However, the government officials did not specify if all casualties happened during the cross-border raid by Islamic militants last week.
Muslim fighters who allegedly crossed borders from Bangladesh had raided three border posts in Myanmar, triggering retaliatory strikes and a massive combing operation by the troops.
As many as nine soldiers were killed in the raids, setting off a series of clashes that raised concerns in international human rights organisation.
Myanmar’s presidential office released a statement last week saying the border attacks were carried out by Aqa Mul Mujahidin, an Islamic organization active in Muslim-majority Maungdaw.