Local residents crowd into a truck as they flee an area close to heavy fighting that has broken out in Rathedaung township of northern Rakhine State in western Myanmar. (EPA Photo)YANGON: Ethnic Rohingya militants in western Myanmar launched overnight attacks on more than two dozen police and border outposts, leaving 71 people dead, the government said on Friday, in a significant escalation of their armed struggle. The military and border police responded to the Thursday night attacks by launching "clearance operations", it said. Suu Kyi's office said on its Facebook page that the attacks were intended to coincide with the release of Annan's report. The Rakhine Advisory Commission, established in August 2016 at Suu Kyi's behest, said the situation in Rakhine state was becoming more precarious and required a sustained and coordinated effort by civilian and military authorities.

Source: Bangkok Post August 25, 2017 08:13 UTC