Rakhine rebels kill 13 in Independence Day attack on Myanmar police posts
- Coordinated attack adds a dangerous new dimension to conflict in the restive western state
Rakhine insurgents killed 13 policemen and injured nine in attacks on four police posts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state on Friday as the country marked Independence Day, the official news agency said.
Fighting resurged in Rakhine state in early December between government forces and the rebel Arakan Army, which wants greater autonomy for Rakhine, where the mainly Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group makes up the majority. The Arakan Army does not cite religion as a factor in its insurgency.
It was also in the restive western state that a military-led crackdown in 2017, following attacks by Rohingya Muslim insurgents, prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee westwards to neighbouring Bangladesh.
The separate conflict between the military and Arakan Army rebels forced 2,500 civilians from their homes by the end of last year, according to the United Nations.
The Arakan Army says it has been fighting for nearly a decade for self-determination in “the land of Arakan,” another name for Rakhine. An independent kingdom ruled in the coastal area until the 18th century.