Summary At least 800 Muslims which includes women and children have been killed in the violence. Photo: AP
(Web Desk) - The Myanmar army has been accused of killing Muslims in Rohingya carrying out extra-judicial orders in response to the recent clashes with the insurgents.
According to Al Jazeera, the soldiers have been allegedly shooting unarmed civilians including women and children during their increased operations against Rohingya insurgents after three days of clashes with militants, involving Burma’s Muslim minority.
According to the authorities in Myanmar, almost 100 people have been killed since it started last week when armed men, from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), hurled a pre-dawn raid on police outposts in the restless region.
Insurgents on Friday began a coordinated attack on police men and an army base with wielding sticks, knives and crude bombs. The attacks led to the mass hysteria forcing large numbers of Muslims in Rohingya and Buddhist civilians to flee from the northern part of Burma’s Rakhine state.
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Thousands of civilians have fled their homes in Rakhine state. Photo: AP
The advocates for the Rohingya have given a much higher death toll, majority of the victims were Muslims. At least 800 Muslims which includes women and children have been killed in the violence.
#Rohingya villagers taking refuge in forest after their houses were burnt down Burma Army pic.twitter.com/gHUxxTSUcF
— Sayed A. Arakani (@sayedarakani48) August 27, 2017
A resident said that the army began “firing indiscriminately at people’s cars and homes”.
"Government forces and the border guard police killed at least 11 people in my village. When they arrived they started shooting at everything that moved. Some soldiers then carried out arson attacks.
"Women and children were also among the dead," he said. "Even a baby wasn t spared."
I m told these are #Rohingya residents fleeing from the #Myanmar Army across a river in Maungdaw today. pic.twitter.com/wzZa53VUXQ
— Matthew Smith (@matthewfsmith) August 25, 2017
Ro Nay San Lwin, an activist and blogger based in Europe stated that around 5,000 to 10,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes in the recent unrest in their region.
Many activists in Burma have been documenting the conflict, San Lwin said that mosques and madrasas in the region have been burned to the ground, with thousands of Muslims left stranded without food and shelter.
"My own uncles were forced to flee by the government and the military," he said.
"There has been no help from the government, instead people s homes have been destroyed and their goods looted.
"Without food, shelter and protection, they don t know when we ll be killed."
A Resident of Buthidaung township, said that "fear had gripped every household.
"People have been sharing videos of the killings on WhatsApp. Videos of women and children being killed. Innocent men being shot dead. You can t begin to imagine how scared we are.
Burma s army torched an Islamic school in Mayrullah last night. #Rohingya
— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) August 26, 2017
40 Rohingya Muslims killed in fresh attacks yesterday. pic.twitter.com/xmfUuRFVt7
"Nobody wants to leave their home. Muslims are scared to go anywhere, hospitals, markets, anywhere. It s a very dangerous situation."
According to the Independent, the violence and unrest has forced thousands of Muslims – mostly women and children- attempting to cross the Naf River separating Burma and Bangladesh and the land border.
Several hundred people fleeing the conflict got stuck at one border point in Bangladesh’s Bandardan district; they were barred from moving further by Bangladeshi border guards.
Around 2,000 Rohingya refugees were able to make it cross into Bangladesh.
Burma’s majority of population is Buddhists and around 1.1 million Muslims live in the northern part of Rakhine state.
