71 dead in Burma ethnic conflict

The Burmese government said 71 people died in a series of attacks early Friday in the country’s restive Rakhine state. Suspected Rohingya Muslim militants stormed the outposts of security forces shortly after midnight. Officials in Burma, also called Myanmar, said 59 Rohingya and 12 security troops died in the clashes. The unrest came hours after an advisory commission called on Myanmar to lift restrictions on the movement and citizenship of the Rohingya Muslim minority group to ease the ongoing violence. Security forces have faced accusations of violating the human rights of the Rohingya—a claim they have denied. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army claimed responsibility for the attacks in a Twitter post. The group accused security officials of killings and rapes and said it was taking “defensive actions.” The United Nations expressed concern over the violence and urged “all parties to refrain from violence, protect civilians, and restore order.”