Myanmar rebel group control of town in Rakhine, denies targeting Rohingya people

Some Rohingya activists accuse the Arakan Army of targeting the community during the assault on Buthidaung and surrounding areas, forcing many of them to flee for safety. - PHOTO: REUTERS

YANGON (Reuters): 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.