Burma-Myanmar: 71 dead in Rohingya militants attack on police stations and army base
At least 71 people were killed Friday in Myanmar’s strife-torn Rakhine State when Rohingya Muslim insurgents launched simultaneous predawn attacks on 30 security outposts, police stations and an army base, according to the government’s latest update.
It earlier said clashes broke out in Maungdaw district of northern Rakhine around 1 a.m. when “extremist Bengali terrorists” attacked security outposts and police stations in 24 separate locations in the area, which is mostly populated by minority Rohingya Muslims.
The government of the predominantly Buddhist country typically refers to the country’s stateless, marginalized Rohingya in Rakhine, formerly called Arakan, as Bengalis, viewing them as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh.
Several hours after the first attacks, around 150 insurgents attempted to breach a military base in the district. At least six guns were lost to them. Attacks at security posts continued into the afternoon, with three police cars in Maungdaw destroyed by explosives.