71 killed in overnight violence in Myanmar Rakhine

Myanmar says at least 71 people have been killed in attacks on police posts in the western state of Rakhine.

Myanmar says at least 71 people have been killed in attacks on police posts in the western state of Rakhine.

At least 59 Rohingya Muslims and 12 policemen were killed overnight on Thursday in the restive state, where the military is accused of committing atrocities against the persecuted Rohingya Muslim community.

A government statement said militants staged coordinated attacks on at least 24 police posts, while some 150 men were also attempting to break into a military base.

“The extremist Bengali insurgents attacked a police station in Maungdaw region in northern Rakhine state with a handmade bomb explosive,” said the statement.

Using the derogatory term “Bengali,” the government refers to the Rohingya Muslims, who are denied citizenship in Myanmar.

Myanmar’s government brands the 1.1 million-strong Rohingya population in the country as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Rohingya Muslims, however, claim roots in the region that go back centuries.