Myanmar army kills 13 rebels in Rakhine clashes - military spokesman

Major General Tun Tun Nyi reports to the press about the recent Arakan army conflict and the peace process, at the Defense Services Museum in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, January 18, 2019. REUTERS/Shoon Naing

NAYPYITAW (Reuters) - Myanmar’s army has killed 13 rebel fighters in the western Rakhine State, a military spokesman said on Friday, as government troops battle to contain a new insurgency in the troubled region.

Fighting between security forces and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group seeking greater autonomy for Rakhine, has forced some 5,000 civilians to flee their homes since early December, according to the United Nations.