Myanmar rebel group claims control of town, denies targeting Rohingya

19/5/2024 17:15

        A powerful armed ethnic group in Myanmar said on Sunday it had won control over a town in the western state of Rakhine after weeks of fighting, denying accusations it had targeted members of the Muslim-minority Rohingya during the offensive.
        
        Khine Thu Kha, a spokesman for the Arakan Army (AA), said its soldiers had taken Buthidaung near Myanmar's border with Bangladesh, marking another battlefield defeat for the ruling junta that is fighting opposition groups on multiple fronts.
        
        "We have conquered all the bases in Buthidaung and also took over the town yesterday," Khine Thu Kha told Reuters by telephone.
        
        Some Rohingya activists accuse the AA of targeting the community during the assault on Buthidaung and surrounding areas, forcing many of them to flee for safety.