Myanmar: Rakhine ethnic rebels kill nine police

YANGON (AA): Myanmar authority on Sunday has confirmed that nine police were killed during a late night attack by ethnic rebel group in Myanmar’s trouble western Rakhine state.

Rakhine ethnic rebel group, Arakan Army (AA), had raided a police station in Yoetayote village near state capital Sittwe at midnight on Saturday, the latest of the group’s several attacks on security forces and government officials in the area.

Maung Maung Soe, deputy chief of police force in Rakhine state confirmed that all nine police, who were at the police station, were killed during the attack.

“About a hundred AA members surrounded the police station, and demanded the police to surrender last night (Saturday night). Fighting broke out as they refused to do so,” he told Anadolu Agency by phone on Sunday.“Nine police were killed by gunshot,” he said.

Armed clashes have intensified in Rakhine state, especially in northern parts, since March last year when the AA claiming represents Rakhine state’s majority Buddhist ethnic returned to base forces in the area.

Nearly 10,000 people, mostly ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, fled their homes since military launched an offensive in Rakhine state after AA killed at least 13 security forces during a coordinated attacked four boarder guard police outpost stations near Myanmar’s border with Bangladesh in January.

Alongside its alliance rebel groups, AA previously fought the government troops in northern Kachin state and northeastern Shan state.