YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Muslim militants armed with guns and machetes attacked Myanmar security forces at several police and border outposts overnight in a troubled western state, with 12 deaths confirmed in the clashes so far, police said Friday.
The attacks that began after midnight occurred a few hours after the Rakhine Advisory Commission led by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan submitted its final report recommending the Myanmar government act quickly to improve economic development and social justice in Rakhine state to resolve communal violence between Buddhists and the Rohingya Muslim minority.
The office of the nation’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on its Facebook page that the attacks were intended to coincide with the release of Annan’s report.
Local police said the simultaneous attacks targeted at least 26 outposts of the police, border guard police and security forces in northern Rakhine. Five border guard police and seven of the armed attackers were killed, police said, with casualties still being counted.
“More than 150 Muslim attackers were surrounding our outpost with machetes and guns,” said Htun Naing, a Border Guard Police officer of Taung Pasa village or northern Buthidaung.