Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request Saturday for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who have already endured three years of war.

Floods and landslides have killed almost 300 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon&nbsp;Yagi, which dumped a colossal deluge of rain when it hit the region last weekend.&nbsp;

In Myanmar, more than 235,000 people have been forced from their homes by floods, the junta said Friday, piling further misery on the country where war has raged since the&nbsp;military seized power in 2021.

In Taungoo -- around an hour south of the capital Naypyidaw -- residents paddled makeshift rafts on floodwaters that reached the roofs of some buildings.

Around 300 people were sheltering at a monastery on high ground in a nearby village.

"We are surrounded by water and we don’t have enough food for everyone," one man said.

"We need food, water, and medicine as priority."

Outside another temple, Buddhist nuns in pink and orange robes waded through knee-deep water.

"I lost my rice, chickens, and ducks," said farmer Naing Tun, who had brought his three cows to higher ground near Taungoo after floodwaters inundated his village.

"I don't care about the other belongings. Nothing else is more important than the lives of people and animals," he told AFP.

<h2>Flee by any means</h2>

The rains in the wake of Typhoon&nbsp;Yagi&nbsp;sent people across Southeast Asia fleeing by any means necessary, including by elephant in Myanmar and jetski in Thailand.

"Officials from the government need to contact foreign countries to receive rescue and relief aid to be provided to the victims," junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said on Friday, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.

"It is necessary to manage rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures as quickly as possible," he was quoted as saying.

Myanmar's military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad.

Last year it suspended travel authorisations for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha that hit the west of the country.

At the time the United Nations slammed that decision as "unfathomable."

The UN's Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Myanmar said it could not currently comment on the junta's request for foreign aid.

"It is estimated that thousands of people have been forced to flee, but numbers are difficult to verify amid telecommunications blockages and a challenging operational context," a spokesperson told AFP.

A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Myanmar said it had no comment on the request.

After cyclone Nargis killed at least 138,000 people in Myanmar in 2008, the then-junta was accused of blocking emergency aid and initially refusing to grant access to humanitarian workers and supplies.

<h2>'Terrible experience'</h2>

The junta gave a death toll on Friday of 33, while earlier in the day the country's fire department said rescuers had recovered 36 bodies.

A military spokesman said it had lost contact with some areas of the country and was investigating reports that dozens had been buried in landslides in a gold-mining area in the central Mandalay region.&nbsp;

Local media reported that six people had been killed in a landslide Friday in Tachileik in eastern Shan state.

Military trucks carried small rescue boats to flood-hit areas around the military-built capital Naypyidaw on Saturday, AFP reporters said.&nbsp;

"Yesterday we had only one meal," farmer Naing Tun said.&nbsp;

"It is terrible to experience flooding because we cannot live our lives well when it happens," he added.&nbsp;

"It can be okay for people who have money. But for the people who have to work day to day for their meals, it is not okay at all."

More than 2.7 million people were already displaced in Myanmar by conflict triggered by the junta's 2021 coup.

Vietnam authorities said Saturday that 262 people were dead and 83 missing.

Images from Laos capital Vientiane, meanwhile, showed houses and buildings inundated by the Mekong river.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request Saturday for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who have already endured three years of war.

Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request Saturday for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who have already endured three years of war. Floods and landslides have killed almost 300 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which dumped a colossal deluge of rain when it hit the region last weekend. In Myanmar, more than 235,000 people have been forced from their homes by floods, the junta said Friday, piling further misery on the country where war has raged since the military seized power in 2021. In Taungoo -- around an hour south of the capital Naypyidaw -- residents paddled makeshift rafts on floodwaters that reached the roofs of some buildings. Around 300 people were sheltering at a monastery on high ground in a nearby village. "We are surrounded by water and we don’t have enough food for everyone," one man said. "We need food, water, and medicine as priority." Outside another temple, Buddhist nuns in pink and orange robes waded through knee-deep water. "I lost my rice, chickens, and ducks," said farmer Naing Tun, who had brought his three cows to higher ground near Taungoo after floodwaters inundated his village. "I don't care about the other belongings. Nothing else is more important than the lives of people and animals," he told AFP. Flee by any means The rains in the wake of Typhoon Yagi sent people across Southeast Asia fleeing by any means necessary, including by elephant in Myanmar and jetski in Thailand. "Officials from the government need to contact foreign countries to receive rescue and relief aid to be provided to the victims," junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said on Friday, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. "It is necessary to manage rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures as quickly as possible," he was quoted as saying. Myanmar's military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad. Last year it suspended travel authorisations for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha that hit the west of the country. At the time the United Nations slammed that decision as "unfathomable." The UN's Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Myanmar said it could not currently comment on the junta's request for foreign aid. "It is estimated that thousands of people have been forced to flee, but numbers are difficult to verify amid telecommunications blockages and a challenging operational context," a spokesperson told AFP. A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Myanmar said it had no comment on the request. After cyclone Nargis killed at least 138,000 people in Myanmar in 2008, the then-junta was accused of blocking emergency aid and initially refusing to grant access to humanitarian workers and supplies. 'Terrible experience' The junta gave a death toll on Friday of 33, while earlier in the day the country's fire department said rescuers had recovered 36 bodies. A military spokesman said it had lost contact with some areas of the country and was investigating reports that dozens had been buried in landslides in a gold-mining area in the central Mandalay region. Local media reported that six people had been killed in a landslide Friday in Tachileik in eastern Shan state. Military trucks carried small rescue boats to flood-hit areas around the military-built capital Naypyidaw on Saturday, AFP reporters said. "Yesterday we had only one meal," farmer Naing Tun said. "It is terrible to experience flooding because we cannot live our lives well when it happens," he added. "It can be okay for people who have money. But for the people who have to work day to day for their meals, it is not okay at all." More than 2.7 million people were already displaced in Myanmar by conflict triggered by the junta's 2021 coup. Vietnam authorities said Saturday that 262 people were dead and 83 missing. Images from Laos capital Vientiane, meanwhile, showed houses and buildings inundated by the Mekong river. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Myanmar Junta makes rare request for foreign aid as country battles with massive floods

Carrying children on their backs or rowing the elderly on makeshift rafts through rising waters, thousands of Myanmar residents are feeling severe flooding triggered by the deadly Typhoon Yagi.

Typhoon Yagi causes floods in Myanmar

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) started a three-day live-fire exercise on 27 August, involving ground and air forces on the Chinese side of the country’s border with Myanmar.

China's PLA conducts live-fire drill near Myanmar border

Crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military have "escalated at an alarming rate", UN investigators warned Tuesday, citing systematic torture, gangrape and abuses against children.

The United Nations' Independent Investigative Mechanism for&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;(IIMM) said that in the last six months, more than three million people are estimated to have been forced to flee their homes, as conflict spirals within the country.

"We have collected substantial evidence showing horrific levels of brutality and inhumanity across&nbsp;Myanmar," said IIMM chief Nicholas Koumjian.

"Many crimes have been committed with an intent to punish and induce terror in the civilian population."

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjhtomJpfKHAxVbavUHHWiEJ2sQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/arakan-army-blamed-for-myanmar-drone-attack-that-killed-dozens-of-rohingya-748987" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/arakan-army-blamed-for-myanmar-drone-attack-that-killed-dozens-of-rohingya-748987&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjhtomJpfKHAxVbavUHHWiEJ2sQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE">Arakan Army blamed for Myanmar drone attack that killed dozens of Rohingya</a>

In its annual report, covering July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, the IIMM said the conflict in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;had "escalated substantially" in that time, "with reports of more frequent and brutal crimes committed across the country".

The investigators said they had collected significant evidence of more intensive and violent war crimes, including aerial attacks on schools, religious buildings and hospitals, with no apparent military target.

They also cited physical mutilations against detainees, including beheadings and public displays of disfigured and sexually mutilated bodies.

The investigators are looking into unlawful imprisonment, including arbitrary detention and "manifestly unfair trials" of perceived opponents of the military junta.

"Thousands of people have been arrested and many tortured or killed in detention," the IIMM said.

<h2>Rapes and burnings</h2>

Myanmar's ruling junta came to power in the February 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, ending a 10-year experiment with democracy and plunging the Southeast Asian nation into bloody turmoil.

The junta is struggling to crush resistance to its rule by long-established ethnic rebel groups and newer pro-democracy forces.

In suppressing post-coup dissent, the report said there was "abundant evidence of systematic torture" in detention.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjhtomJpfKHAxVbavUHHWiEJ2sQxfQBKAB6BAgQEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-national-unity-government-seeks-formal-engagement-with-india-712031" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-national-unity-government-seeks-formal-engagement-with-india-712031&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjhtomJpfKHAxVbavUHHWiEJ2sQxfQBKAB6BAgQEAE">Myanmar’s National Unity Government seeks formal engagement with India</a>

Torture methods included beatings with bamboo sticks; electric shocks; pulling out fingernails with pliers; dousing detainees in petrol and setting them alight; waterboarding; strangulation; breaking fingers; and forcing detainees to punch each other.

The report said there was reliable evidence of sexual crimes in detention committed against all genders, and including children. These crimes included rape, burning of sexual body parts with cigarettes and sexual humiliation.

<h2>Mounting evidence against perpetrators</h2>

The IIMM was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 to collect evidence of the most serious international crimes and prepare files for criminal prosecution.

The report's findings were based on almost 28 million items of information collected from more than 900 sources. The team also studied evidence such as videos, geospatial imagery and forensics.

While most of the information concerns crimes allegedly committed by the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;security forces, the monitor said there was also credible evidence of crimes committed by armed groups fighting against the military.

"This includes summary executions of civilians suspected of being military informers or collaborators," the investigators said.

It is&nbsp;also&nbsp;probing&nbsp;potential&nbsp;crimes&nbsp;committed&nbsp;against&nbsp;the Rohingya during&nbsp;the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp; military's 2016 and 2017 clearance operations.

"No one has been held accountable for any crimes, which emboldens perpetrators and deepens the culture of impunity in the country. We are trying to break this cycle," said Koumjian.

He claimed the IIMM had made considerable progress in building criminal cases against those most responsible.

"The mechanism hopes that the evidence it collects will one day be presented in a court of law and that those responsible will face justice," the report concluded.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience. 
&nbsp;

Crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the Myanmar military have "escalated at an alarming rate", UN investigators warned Tuesday, citing systematic torture, gangrape and abuses against children.

Crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the Myanmar military have "escalated at an alarming rate", UN investigators warned Tuesday, citing systematic torture, gangrape and abuses against children. The United Nations' Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) said that in the last six months, more than three million people are estimated to have been forced to flee their homes, as conflict spirals within the country. "We have collected substantial evidence showing horrific levels of brutality and inhumanity across Myanmar," said IIMM chief Nicholas Koumjian. "Many crimes have been committed with an intent to punish and induce terror in the civilian population." Also read: Arakan Army blamed for Myanmar drone attack that killed dozens of Rohingya In its annual report, covering July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, the IIMM said the conflict in Myanmar had "escalated substantially" in that time, "with reports of more frequent and brutal crimes committed across the country". The investigators said they had collected significant evidence of more intensive and violent war crimes, including aerial attacks on schools, religious buildings and hospitals, with no apparent military target. They also cited physical mutilations against detainees, including beheadings and public displays of disfigured and sexually mutilated bodies. The investigators are looking into unlawful imprisonment, including arbitrary detention and "manifestly unfair trials" of perceived opponents of the military junta. "Thousands of people have been arrested and many tortured or killed in detention," the IIMM said. Rapes and burnings Myanmar's ruling junta came to power in the February 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, ending a 10-year experiment with democracy and plunging the Southeast Asian nation into bloody turmoil. The junta is struggling to crush resistance to its rule by long-established ethnic rebel groups and newer pro-democracy forces. In suppressing post-coup dissent, the report said there was "abundant evidence of systematic torture" in detention. Also read: Myanmar’s National Unity Government seeks formal engagement with India Torture methods included beatings with bamboo sticks; electric shocks; pulling out fingernails with pliers; dousing detainees in petrol and setting them alight; waterboarding; strangulation; breaking fingers; and forcing detainees to punch each other. The report said there was reliable evidence of sexual crimes in detention committed against all genders, and including children. These crimes included rape, burning of sexual body parts with cigarettes and sexual humiliation. Mounting evidence against perpetrators The IIMM was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 to collect evidence of the most serious international crimes and prepare files for criminal prosecution. The report's findings were based on almost 28 million items of information collected from more than 900 sources. The team also studied evidence such as videos, geospatial imagery and forensics. While most of the information concerns crimes allegedly committed by the Myanmar security forces, the monitor said there was also credible evidence of crimes committed by armed groups fighting against the military. "This includes summary executions of civilians suspected of being military informers or collaborators," the investigators said. It is also probing potential crimes committed against the Rohingya during the Myanmar military's 2016 and 2017 clearance operations. "No one has been held accountable for any crimes, which emboldens perpetrators and deepens the culture of impunity in the country. We are trying to break this cycle," said Koumjian. He claimed the IIMM had made considerable progress in building criminal cases against those most responsible. "The mechanism hopes that the evidence it collects will one day be presented in a court of law and that those responsible will face justice," the report concluded. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Crimes against humanity, war crimes ‘escalating at alarming rate’ in Myanmar: UN

A drone attack on&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;fleeing Myanmar killed many dozens of people, including families with children, several witnesses said, describing survivors wandering between piles of bodies to identify dead and injured relatives.

Four witnesses, activists and a diplomat described drone attacks on Monday that struck down families waiting to cross the border into neighbouring Bangladesh.

A heavily pregnant woman and her 2-year-old daughter were among the victims in the attack, the single deadliest known assault on civilians in Rakhine state during recent weeks of fighting between junta troops and rebels.

Three of the witnesses told Reuters on Friday that the Arakan Army was responsible, allegations the group denied. The militia and Myanmar's military blamed each another. Reuters could not verify how many people had died in the attack or independently determine responsibility.

Videos posted to social media showed piles of bodies strewn across muddy ground, their suitcases and backpacks scattered around them. Three survivors said more than 200 had died while a witness to the aftermath said he had seen at least 70 bodies.

Reuters verified the location of the videos as just outside the coastal Myanmar town of Maungdaw. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the date the videos were filmed.

One witness, 35-year-old Mohammed Eleyas, said his pregnant wife and 2-year-old daughter were wounded in the attack and later died. He was standing with them on the shoreline when drones began attacking the crowds, Eleyas told Reuters from a refugee camp in Bangladesh.

"I heard the deafening sound of shelling multiple times,” he said. Eleyas said he lay on the ground to protect himself and when he got up, he saw his wife and daughter critically injured and many of his other relatives dead.

A second witness, Shamsuddin, 28, said he survived with his wife and newborn son. Also speaking from a refugee camp in Bangladesh, he said that after the attack many lay dead and ”some people were shouting out from the pain of their injuries”.

Boats carrying fleeing&nbsp;Rohingya, members of a mostly Muslim minority who face extreme persecution in Myanmar, also sank in the Naf River that separates the two countries on Monday, killing dozens more, according to two witnesses and Bangladesh media.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwizobCLsuqHAxUJafUHHckGLvQQxfQBKAB6BAgOEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-are-nothing-but-a-lucrative-business-a-rohingya-refugees-life-amid-chaos-667156" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/we-are-nothing-but-a-lucrative-business-a-rohingya-refugees-life-amid-chaos-667156&amp;ved=2ahUKEwizobCLsuqHAxUJafUHHckGLvQQxfQBKAB6BAgOEAE">`We are nothing but a lucrative business,` a Rohingya refugee`s life amid chaos</a>

Medecins Sans Frontieres said in a statement the aid organisation had treated 39 people who had crossed from Myanmar into Bangladesh since Saturday for violence-related injuries, including mortar shell injuries and gunshot wounds. Patients described seeing people bombed while trying to find boats to cross the river, the statement said.

A spokesperson for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees said the agency was “aware of the deaths of refugees from the capsize of two boats in the Bay of Bengal” and it had heard reports of civilian deaths in Maungdaw but that it could not confirm the numbers or circumstances.

<h2>Fighting in the region</h2>

The&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;have been long persecuted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. More than 730,000 of them fled the country in 2017 after a military-led crackdown that the UN&nbsp;said was carried out with genocidal intent.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power from a democratically elected government in 2021, and mass protests evolved into widespread armed struggle.

Rohingya&nbsp;have been leaving Rakhine for weeks as the Arakan Army, one of many armed groups fighting, has made sweeping gains in the north, home to a large population of Muslims.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwizobCLsuqHAxUJafUHHckGLvQQxfQBKAB6BAgJEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingyas-have-no-fundamental-right-to-reside-and-settle-in-india-government-tells-supreme-court-702216" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingyas-have-no-fundamental-right-to-reside-and-settle-in-india-government-tells-supreme-court-702216&amp;ved=2ahUKEwizobCLsuqHAxUJafUHHckGLvQQxfQBKAB6BAgJEAE">Rohingyas have no fundamental right to reside and settle in India, Centre tells Supreme Court</a>

Reuters has previously reported that the militia burned down the largest&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;town in May, leaving Maungdaw, which is under siege by the rebels, as the last major&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;settlement aside from grim displacement camps further south. The group denied the allegations.

Activist groups condemned this week's attacks. A senior Western diplomat said he had confirmed the reports.

“These reports of hundreds of&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;killed at the Bangladesh/Myanmar border are, I’m sorry to say, accurate,” Bob Rae, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations and a previous special envoy to Myanmar, posted on X on Wednesday.

Myanmar's junta blamed the Arakan Army in a post on its Telegram channel.

The militia denied responsibility. “According to our investigation, family members of terrorists tried to go to Bangladesh from Maungdaw and the junta dropped the bomb because they left without permission,” Arakan Army spokesman Khine Thu Kha told Reuters, referring to Muslims who have joined&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;armed groups fighting against the Arakan Army.

<h2>Trying to get to safety</h2>

Reuters was able to confirm the location of the videos seen on social media from the position and shape of the mountain and shoreline, which matched file and satellite imagery of the area.

The fencing featured in one of the videos also matched file imagery of the location. The location of the videos matched the area described by Shamsuddin.

Eleyas described how his wife and daughter died in the aftermath of the attack, and his desperate efforts to find a boat that would take them to Bangladesh.

Before his wife died, “We apologised to each other for any wrongs we may have done in our lives,” he said.

Around midnight, he said, he finally found a small boat and managed to cross the border with it.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

A drone attack on Rohingya fleeing Myanmar killed many dozens of people, including families with children, several witnesses said, describing survivors wandering between piles of bodies to identify dead and injured relatives.

A drone attack on Rohingya fleeing Myanmar killed many dozens of people, including families with children, several witnesses said, describing survivors wandering between piles of bodies to identify dead and injured relatives. Four witnesses, activists and a diplomat described drone attacks on Monday that struck down families waiting to cross the border into neighbouring Bangladesh. A heavily pregnant woman and her 2-year-old daughter were among the victims in the attack, the single deadliest known assault on civilians in Rakhine state during recent weeks of fighting between junta troops and rebels. Three of the witnesses told Reuters on Friday that the Arakan Army was responsible, allegations the group denied. The militia and Myanmar's military blamed each another. Reuters could not verify how many people had died in the attack or independently determine responsibility. Videos posted to social media showed piles of bodies strewn across muddy ground, their suitcases and backpacks scattered around them. Three survivors said more than 200 had died while a witness to the aftermath said he had seen at least 70 bodies. Reuters verified the location of the videos as just outside the coastal Myanmar town of Maungdaw. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the date the videos were filmed. One witness, 35-year-old Mohammed Eleyas, said his pregnant wife and 2-year-old daughter were wounded in the attack and later died. He was standing with them on the shoreline when drones began attacking the crowds, Eleyas told Reuters from a refugee camp in Bangladesh. "I heard the deafening sound of shelling multiple times,” he said. Eleyas said he lay on the ground to protect himself and when he got up, he saw his wife and daughter critically injured and many of his other relatives dead. A second witness, Shamsuddin, 28, said he survived with his wife and newborn son. Also speaking from a refugee camp in Bangladesh, he said that after the attack many lay dead and ”some people were shouting out from the pain of their injuries”. Boats carrying fleeing Rohingya, members of a mostly Muslim minority who face extreme persecution in Myanmar, also sank in the Naf River that separates the two countries on Monday, killing dozens more, according to two witnesses and Bangladesh media. Also read: `We are nothing but a lucrative business,` a Rohingya refugee`s life amid chaos Medecins Sans Frontieres said in a statement the aid organisation had treated 39 people who had crossed from Myanmar into Bangladesh since Saturday for violence-related injuries, including mortar shell injuries and gunshot wounds. Patients described seeing people bombed while trying to find boats to cross the river, the statement said. A spokesperson for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees said the agency was “aware of the deaths of refugees from the capsize of two boats in the Bay of Bengal” and it had heard reports of civilian deaths in Maungdaw but that it could not confirm the numbers or circumstances. Fighting in the region The Rohingya have been long persecuted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. More than 730,000 of them fled the country in 2017 after a military-led crackdown that the UN said was carried out with genocidal intent. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power from a democratically elected government in 2021, and mass protests evolved into widespread armed struggle. Rohingya have been leaving Rakhine for weeks as the Arakan Army, one of many armed groups fighting, has made sweeping gains in the north, home to a large population of Muslims. Also read: Rohingyas have no fundamental right to reside and settle in India, Centre tells Supreme Court Reuters has previously reported that the militia burned down the largest Rohingya town in May, leaving Maungdaw, which is under siege by the rebels, as the last major Rohingya settlement aside from grim displacement camps further south. The group denied the allegations. Activist groups condemned this week's attacks. A senior Western diplomat said he had confirmed the reports. “These reports of hundreds of Rohingya killed at the Bangladesh/Myanmar border are, I’m sorry to say, accurate,” Bob Rae, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations and a previous special envoy to Myanmar, posted on X on Wednesday. Myanmar's junta blamed the Arakan Army in a post on its Telegram channel. The militia denied responsibility. “According to our investigation, family members of terrorists tried to go to Bangladesh from Maungdaw and the junta dropped the bomb because they left without permission,” Arakan Army spokesman Khine Thu Kha told Reuters, referring to Muslims who have joined Rohingya armed groups fighting against the Arakan Army. Trying to get to safety Reuters was able to confirm the location of the videos seen on social media from the position and shape of the mountain and shoreline, which matched file and satellite imagery of the area. The fencing featured in one of the videos also matched file imagery of the location. The location of the videos matched the area described by Shamsuddin. Eleyas described how his wife and daughter died in the aftermath of the attack, and his desperate efforts to find a boat that would take them to Bangladesh. Before his wife died, “We apologised to each other for any wrongs we may have done in our lives,” he said. Around midnight, he said, he finally found a small boat and managed to cross the border with it. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Arakan Army blamed for Myanmar drone attack that killed dozens of Rohingya

Myanmar's military regime has once again extended its state of emergency by six months. This decision, announced on Wednesday, marks the latest delay in the promised elections. Watch in for more details!

Myanmar Junta extends state of emergency, delays elections

Myanmar Junta extends state of emergency by six months, delays elections

Myanmar's embattled military government extended a state of emergency on Wednesday for another six months, state media said, as the junta struggles to maintain its grip on power with fighting flaring on multiple fronts and the economy in crisis.

Army-run Myawaddy media said the military-controlled National Defence and Security Council extended emergency rule to give the junta more time to put together population data for voter lists. The junta has said it will hold elections next year.

The military put the country under emergency rule for a year when it took power in a February 2021 coup, deposing the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi and triggering nationwide street protests that it violently crushed.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/preparations-are-on-to-hold-free-and-fair-general-election-myanmar-pm-tells-india-nsa-doval-744650" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/preparations-are-on-to-hold-free-and-fair-general-election-myanmar-pm-tells-india-nsa-doval-744650&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi4sLP3-9CHAxWzXGwGHRkRBMQQFnoECAAQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw3rGLQQxLB-astQNrbuolTG&amp;arm=e" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/preparations-are-on-to-hold-free-and-fair-general-election-myanmar-pm-tells-india-nsa-doval-744650" target="_blank">Preparations are on to hold free and fair general election</a>

The junta has since extended the emergency rule&nbsp;every six months, as the protest movement morphed into an armed rebellion that has widened and is now posing an existential threat to the generals.

"It is necessary to restore peace and stability because of ongoing terrorist activities," state-run media said of the latest extension, referring to the armed resistance.

Last week, all responsibilities of Myanmar's figurehead president were handed over to junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, after the nominal head of state was placed on medical leave due to a prolonged illness.

Min Aung Hlaing has repeatedly promised to hold a multi-party election, with the general saying in June that polls will be conducted in 2025.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-suspends-foreign-work-permits-as-thousands-try-to-flee-after-enlistment-order-717776" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-suspends-foreign-work-permits-as-thousands-try-to-flee-after-enlistment-order-717776&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi4sLP3-9CHAxWzXGwGHRkRBMQQFnoECAIQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Rh0ltuzAA-DWESonznk0&amp;arm=e" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-suspends-foreign-work-permits-as-thousands-try-to-flee-after-enlistment-order-717776" target="_blank">Myanmar&nbsp;suspends foreign work permits as thousands try to flee</a>

Previous election timelines have been postponed, citing the ongoing violence as the reason. Min Aung Hlaing has insisted the junta does not plan to hold power long.

The military took power after complaining of fraud in a November 2020 general election won overwhelmingly by Suu Kyi's party, which the party denied. Election monitoring groups found no evidence of mass fraud.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Myanmar's embattled military government extended a state of emergency on Wednesday for another six months, state media said, as the junta struggles to maintain its grip on power with fighting flaring on multiple fronts and the economy in crisis.

Myanmar's embattled military government extended a state of emergency on Wednesday for another six months, state media said, as the junta struggles to maintain its grip on power with fighting flaring on multiple fronts and the economy in crisis. Army-run Myawaddy media said the military-controlled National Defence and Security Council extended emergency rule to give the junta more time to put together population data for voter lists. The junta has said it will hold elections next year. The military put the country under emergency rule for a year when it took power in a February 2021 coup, deposing the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi and triggering nationwide street protests that it violently crushed. Also read: Preparations are on to hold free and fair general election The junta has since extended the emergency rule every six months, as the protest movement morphed into an armed rebellion that has widened and is now posing an existential threat to the generals. "It is necessary to restore peace and stability because of ongoing terrorist activities," state-run media said of the latest extension, referring to the armed resistance. Last week, all responsibilities of Myanmar's figurehead president were handed over to junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, after the nominal head of state was placed on medical leave due to a prolonged illness. Min Aung Hlaing has repeatedly promised to hold a multi-party election, with the general saying in June that polls will be conducted in 2025. Also read: Myanmar suspends foreign work permits as thousands try to flee Previous election timelines have been postponed, citing the ongoing violence as the reason. Min Aung Hlaing has insisted the junta does not plan to hold power long. The military took power after complaining of fraud in a November 2020 general election won overwhelmingly by Suu Kyi's party, which the party denied. Election monitoring groups found no evidence of mass fraud. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Myanmar military extends emergency rule for another 6 months

Russian & Chinese Nuclear bombers fly near Alaska. Mexican drug lord El Mayo was arrested. Ethnic rebels oust Myanmar Junta from a strategic border town along China Mohammed Saleh gets you an in-depth analysis of the world's biggest warzones of the week in World At War.

Russian & Chinese Nuclear bombers fly near Alaska

Resistance forces in Myanmar targeted a rocket attack on an airport in capital. According to reports the rebels fired two rockets at the airport in a rare breach of the military's seat of power on Tuesday.

Resistance forces in Myanmar launch rocket attack in capital

Myanmar's military Junta faces the biggest blow since the 2021 coup. The ethnic armed group called three Brotherhood Alliance has made advances in the key town of Lashio. Watch in for more details!

Myanmar: Junta's command centre under attack

Myanmar: Fighting enters 8th day around Lashio town

Myanmar ethnic minority fighters said Wednesday they had seized a town along a key trade highway to China following days of clashes, in another blow to the military.

Northern Shan state has been rocked by fighting since late last month, when an alliance of ethnic armed groups renewed an offensive against the military along the highway to China's Yunnan province.

The clashes have shredded a Beijing-brokered truce that in January halted an offensive by the alliance of the Arakan Army (AA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-ethnic-armed-group-says-captured-hundreds-of-junta-personnel-718665">Myanmar ethnic armed group says captured hundreds of junta personnel</a>

The town of Naungcho "is totally ours", General Tar Bhone Kyaw of the TNLA told AFP.&nbsp;

Earlier Wednesday, a military source told AFP that ethnic minority fighters were in control of "most" of the town.

AFP was unable to reach a junta spokesman for comment.&nbsp;

Naungcho is around 50 kilometres (30 miles) down the highway from the former British hill station of Pyin Oo Lwin, home to the military's elite officer training academy.&nbsp;

Another road from the town leads to Taunggyi, the capital of Shan state.&nbsp;

TNLA fighters were also inside the town of Lashio, home to the junta's northeastern command, the TNLA said.

Its forces had briefly captured a battallion command near the city but had been forced to retreat when the military launched air strikes, said Tar Bhone Kyaw.&nbsp;

Also watch |&nbsp;Myanmar: Junta under pressure as intense fighting breaks out in northeastern Myanmar

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On Tuesday the junta said 18 civilians in Lashio had been killed and 24 wounded in shelling, rocket and drone attacks by the alliance.

The military has carried out several air strikes around the town of about 150,000 people, according to residents.

<h2>Fleeing in convoys</h2>

On Tuesday Lashio residents piled into cars weighed down with belongings and navigated potholed and monsoon-soaked dirt roads in a bid to flee the fighting, AFP images showed.&nbsp;

On Monday around 45 people crowded onto a boat to be taken across a river swollen by the monsoon rains.

Myanmar's borderlands are home to myriad ethnic armed groups who have battled the military since independence from Britain in 1948 for autonomy and control of lucrative resources.

Some have given shelter and training to newer "People's Defence Forces" (PDFs) that have sprung up to battle the military after it ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's government in 2021.

In recent days, PDF fighters have battled junta forces in Madaya township, around an hour north of second city Mandalay.

Amid the renewed fighting last week, top junta general Soe Win travelled to China to discuss security cooperation along their shared border.

China is a major ally and arms supplier to the junta, but analysts say Beijing also maintains ties with Myanmar's armed ethnic groups holding territory near its border.&nbsp;

Myanmar ethnic minority fighters said Wednesday they had seized a town along a key trade highway to China following days of clashes, in another blow to the military.

Myanmar ethnic minority fighters said Wednesday they had seized a town along a key trade highway to China following days of clashes, in another blow to the military. Northern Shan state has been rocked by fighting since late last month, when an alliance of ethnic armed groups renewed an offensive against the military along the highway to China's Yunnan province. The clashes have shredded a Beijing-brokered truce that in January halted an offensive by the alliance of the Arakan Army (AA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). Also read | Myanmar ethnic armed group says captured hundreds of junta personnel The town of Naungcho "is totally ours", General Tar Bhone Kyaw of the TNLA told AFP. Earlier Wednesday, a military source told AFP that ethnic minority fighters were in control of "most" of the town. AFP was unable to reach a junta spokesman for comment. Naungcho is around 50 kilometres (30 miles) down the highway from the former British hill station of Pyin Oo Lwin, home to the military's elite officer training academy. Another road from the town leads to Taunggyi, the capital of Shan state. TNLA fighters were also inside the town of Lashio, home to the junta's northeastern command, the TNLA said. Its forces had briefly captured a battallion command near the city but had been forced to retreat when the military launched air strikes, said Tar Bhone Kyaw. Also watch | Myanmar: Junta under pressure as intense fighting breaks out in northeastern Myanmar × On Tuesday the junta said 18 civilians in Lashio had been killed and 24 wounded in shelling, rocket and drone attacks by the alliance. The military has carried out several air strikes around the town of about 150,000 people, according to residents. Fleeing in convoys On Tuesday Lashio residents piled into cars weighed down with belongings and navigated potholed and monsoon-soaked dirt roads in a bid to flee the fighting, AFP images showed. On Monday around 45 people crowded onto a boat to be taken across a river swollen by the monsoon rains. Myanmar's borderlands are home to myriad ethnic armed groups who have battled the military since independence from Britain in 1948 for autonomy and control of lucrative resources. Some have given shelter and training to newer "People's Defence Forces" (PDFs) that have sprung up to battle the military after it ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's government in 2021. In recent days, PDF fighters have battled junta forces in Madaya township, around an hour north of second city Mandalay. Amid the renewed fighting last week, top junta general Soe Win travelled to China to discuss security cooperation along their shared border. China is a major ally and arms supplier to the junta, but analysts say Beijing also maintains ties with Myanmar's armed ethnic groups holding territory near its border.

Myanmar-China showdown? Ethnic armed group claims control of highway town to China

Myanmar: Junta under pressure as intense fighting breaks out in northeastern Myanmar

Myanmar: Militia makes advances in the key town of Lashio

Myanmar's central bank denied a U.N. report that the country's military government can still access money and weapons for its war against anti-coup forces, saying financial institutions under the bank's supervision followed prescribed procedures.

UN: Thailand helped Myanmar's weapons purchase

Myanmar slams UN report on weapon transactions

Myanmar's central bank denied a UN report that the country's military government can still access money and weapons for its war against anti-coup forces, saying financial institutions under the bank's supervision followed prescribed procedures.

Myanmar central bank denies UN report on weapons transactions

Myanmar's ruling junta has lost control over vast tracts of territory, including access to much of its international borders, allowing ethnic armed groups to expand and consolidate regions under their control, two reports assessing the conflict said on Thursday.

The country of 55 million people has been in turmoil since February, 2021 when the military ousted an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking widespread protests.

The street demonstrations, which were met with a brutal crackdown, morphed into an armed resistance movement that has combined with many of&nbsp;Myanmar's ethnic rebel armies to pose the most significant challenge to the military in decades.

The junta does not have effective control of&nbsp;Myanmar, having lost complete authority over townships covering 86% of the country's territory that are home to 67 per cent of the population, according to the Special Advisory Council for&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;(SAC-M).

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-national-unity-government-seeks-formal-engagement-with-india-712031">Myanmar’s National Unity Government seeks formal engagement with India</a>

A junta spokesman did not respond to a call from Reuters seeking comment.

"The military junta does not control enough of the territory of&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;to uphold the core duties of the state," the SAC-M, an independent group of international experts set up after the coup to support the return of democracy, said in a briefing paper.

"The junta has abandoned significant territory and has been forced into a defensive posture in most parts of the country where it remains present."

Also watch |&nbsp;Myanmar: Uprising against Myanmar's military Junta, NUG's spokesperson talks to WION

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Operation 1027, a coordinated offensive last October led by three ethnic armies, marked a key moment that exposed a weakened military, which ceded swathes of borderlands in&nbsp;Myanmar's north.

A series of offensives by ethnic armies since have pushed the junta out of peripheral areas all the way from the country's border with Thailand to coastal tracts along the Bay of Bengal.

"The ethnic armed groups that have achieved many of these military victories are consolidating control of their expanded homeland areas, with many well on the way to establishing autonomous statelets," the non-profit Crisis Group said in a report.

The military's mounting losses and growing dismay among the elite in the capital Naypyidaw has left junta chief Min Aung Hlaing's future in serious doubt, although he has packed senior ranks with officers loyal to him, according to Crisis Group.

"He might thus be able to keep his job, but given the level of discontent, he could nevertheless face a plot to remove him," it said.

With the junta losing control of almost all the country's borders and non-state administrations likely to expand, neighbouring states, regional blocs and the international community should widen their engagement with resistance groups, both reports said.

Internal displacement in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;has reached a record high, with over three million people forced out of their homes because of the escalating conflict, according to UN agencies.

"The international community must understand this reality and work directly with resistance authorities and civil society to deliver urgent aid and assistance to the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;people," said Yanghee Lee, one of SAC-M's founding members.

Myanmar's ruling junta has lost control over vast tracts of territory, including access to much of its international borders, allowing ethnic armed groups to expand and consolidate regions under their control, two reports assessing the conflict said on Thursday.

Myanmar's ruling junta has lost control over vast tracts of territory, including access to much of its international borders, allowing ethnic armed groups to expand and consolidate regions under their control, two reports assessing the conflict said on Thursday. The country of 55 million people has been in turmoil since February, 2021 when the military ousted an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking widespread protests. The street demonstrations, which were met with a brutal crackdown, morphed into an armed resistance movement that has combined with many of Myanmar's ethnic rebel armies to pose the most significant challenge to the military in decades. The junta does not have effective control of Myanmar, having lost complete authority over townships covering 86% of the country's territory that are home to 67 per cent of the population, according to the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M). Also read | Myanmar’s National Unity Government seeks formal engagement with India A junta spokesman did not respond to a call from Reuters seeking comment. "The military junta does not control enough of the territory of Myanmar to uphold the core duties of the state," the SAC-M, an independent group of international experts set up after the coup to support the return of democracy, said in a briefing paper. "The junta has abandoned significant territory and has been forced into a defensive posture in most parts of the country where it remains present." Also watch | Myanmar: Uprising against Myanmar's military Junta, NUG's spokesperson talks to WION × Operation 1027, a coordinated offensive last October led by three ethnic armies, marked a key moment that exposed a weakened military, which ceded swathes of borderlands in Myanmar's north. A series of offensives by ethnic armies since have pushed the junta out of peripheral areas all the way from the country's border with Thailand to coastal tracts along the Bay of Bengal. "The ethnic armed groups that have achieved many of these military victories are consolidating control of their expanded homeland areas, with many well on the way to establishing autonomous statelets," the non-profit Crisis Group said in a report. The military's mounting losses and growing dismay among the elite in the capital Naypyidaw has left junta chief Min Aung Hlaing's future in serious doubt, although he has packed senior ranks with officers loyal to him, according to Crisis Group. "He might thus be able to keep his job, but given the level of discontent, he could nevertheless face a plot to remove him," it said. With the junta losing control of almost all the country's borders and non-state administrations likely to expand, neighbouring states, regional blocs and the international community should widen their engagement with resistance groups, both reports said. Internal displacement in Myanmar has reached a record high, with over three million people forced out of their homes because of the escalating conflict, according to UN agencies. "The international community must understand this reality and work directly with resistance authorities and civil society to deliver urgent aid and assistance to the Myanmar people," said Yanghee Lee, one of SAC-M's founding members.

Myanmar's rebels consolidate strongholds as junta weakens, reports say

Khine Thu Kha, a spokesman for the Arakan Army (AA), said its soldiers had taken Buthidaung near Myanmar's border with Bangladesh. Watch to know more.

Myanmar: Clashes intensify between Junta, Arakan army

Myanmar: Rebel group captures key Junta stronghold Buthidaung

China is reportedly irked with Myanmar for choosing Russia to build the Dawei Deep Seaport on the country's east coast. China which was also trying to build a port close to the Thailand border, had done a feasibility study of the Dawei. According to reports, it chose to focus on Kyakphyu deep seaport instead, as it was close to the India-built Sittwe port. Over the past year, Myanmar has been shedding its overdependence on China, and expanding ties with Russia to secure military supplies and build infrastructure and energy projects. With Myanmar opening the doors for Russia is the influence of Beijing, after seeking to be a dominant player, waning?

Myanmar chooses Russia to build Dawei Deep Seaport Irking China

The Myanmar Junta is facing the sternest challenge to its authority since grabbing power in a 2021 coup. An alliance of three Myanmar ethnic minority groups, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, the Arakan Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army or MNDAA, known as the Brotherhood alliance, has waged a coordinated offensive since the 27th of October last year, thereby unnerving the military. The offensive, dubbed by rebels as Operation 1027, signifying the date on which it began, has made inroads into the Junta-controlled areas in the northern Shan state, Kayah state in the east and Rakhine state in the west. This past week, in the latest blow to the military, an ethnic armed group, the Arakan army, captured a military command and took hundreds of Junta personnel prisoner in the Western Rakhine state. Mohammed Saleh brings you the details.

Myanmar: Hundreds of junta personnel paraded as prisoners

A&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;ethnic armed group said on Monday it had captured a military command and taken hundreds of junta personnel prisoner in western Rakhine state, the latest blow to the military.

Clashes have rocked Rakhine since the Arakan Army (AA) attacked security forces in November, ending a ceasefire that had largely held since the junta's 2021 coup.

The military still holds the state capital Sittwe but AA fighters have seized territory in surrounding districts, including bases on the border with India and Bangladesh.&nbsp;

A video released by the AA's media channel said the group had captured "Military Operations Command 15"&nbsp;near the town of Buthidaung, around 90 kilometres (55 miles) north of Sittwe.

The video did not say when its fighters had captured the site but local media have reported regular clashes around Buthidaung in recent days.&nbsp;

"The video record of the deputy commander of MOC 15 after a certain period of siege," read a message published in Burmese, Chinese and English.

After a "final assault" the junta troops had "faced total defeat and surrendered," it said.

Images showed a long line of men, some wearing what appeared to be military uniforms, walking single file through a field.

Some were in shorts and T-shirts and sandals while others were not wearing any footwear. Some shots showed women and children accompanying the men.&nbsp;

One man with a bandage around his knee was limping and some were being carried in makeshift stretchers.

The video also showed around 200 people sitting in rows in a clearing and men in uniform and guns watching over them.

AFP has attempted to contact a junta spokesman for comment.&nbsp;

The AA is one of several armed ethnic minority groups in&nbsp;Myanmar's border regions, many of whom have battled the military since independence from Britain in 1948 over autonomy and control of lucrative resources.

The AA claims to be fighting for more autonomy for the state's ethnic Rakhine population.

In 2019 clashes between the AA and the military roiled the region and displaced around 200,000 people.

In 2017 the military launched a crackdown on the Rohingya minority there that is now the subject of a United Nations genocide court case.

Since the November outbreak, fighting had spread to 15 of Rakhine state's 17 townships, the UN's human rights chief said last month.&nbsp;

Hundreds have been killed or wounded and more than 300,000 displaced, it said.

A Myanmar ethnic armed group said on Monday it had captured a military command and taken hundreds of junta personnel prisoner in western Rakhine state, the latest blow to the military.

A Myanmar ethnic armed group said on Monday it had captured a military command and taken hundreds of junta personnel prisoner in western Rakhine state, the latest blow to the military. Clashes have rocked Rakhine since the Arakan Army (AA) attacked security forces in November, ending a ceasefire that had largely held since the junta's 2021 coup. The military still holds the state capital Sittwe but AA fighters have seized territory in surrounding districts, including bases on the border with India and Bangladesh. A video released by the AA's media channel said the group had captured "Military Operations Command 15" near the town of Buthidaung, around 90 kilometres (55 miles) north of Sittwe. The video did not say when its fighters had captured the site but local media have reported regular clashes around Buthidaung in recent days. "The video record of the deputy commander of MOC 15 after a certain period of siege," read a message published in Burmese, Chinese and English. After a "final assault" the junta troops had "faced total defeat and surrendered," it said. Images showed a long line of men, some wearing what appeared to be military uniforms, walking single file through a field. Some were in shorts and T-shirts and sandals while others were not wearing any footwear. Some shots showed women and children accompanying the men. One man with a bandage around his knee was limping and some were being carried in makeshift stretchers. The video also showed around 200 people sitting in rows in a clearing and men in uniform and guns watching over them. AFP has attempted to contact a junta spokesman for comment. The AA is one of several armed ethnic minority groups in Myanmar's border regions, many of whom have battled the military since independence from Britain in 1948 over autonomy and control of lucrative resources. The AA claims to be fighting for more autonomy for the state's ethnic Rakhine population. In 2019 clashes between the AA and the military roiled the region and displaced around 200,000 people. In 2017 the military launched a crackdown on the Rohingya minority there that is now the subject of a United Nations genocide court case. Since the November outbreak, fighting had spread to 15 of Rakhine state's 17 townships, the UN's human rights chief said last month. Hundreds have been killed or wounded and more than 300,000 displaced, it said.

Myanmar ethnic armed group says captured hundreds of junta personnel

A Myanmar ethnic armed group said on Monday (May 6) it had captured a military command and taken hundreds of junta personnel prisoner in western Rakhine state.

Rebel groups capture Myanmar's military base

The death caused by flooding and other consequences of the heavy rain battering Kenya has risen to 288. The torrential rains that have caused widespread flooding and landslides across Kenya. Watch in for more details!

Kenya Floods: Death toll from floods rise to 288, deluge destroys homes, roads & bridges

Myanmar's military government has halted the issuing of permits for men to work abroad amid the ongoing civil war. The decision came weeks after the junta released an order mandating enlistment of youth which prompted many to try to leave the country.

Myanmar's military government has halted the issuing of permits for men to work abroad amid the ongoing civil war. The decision came weeks after the junta released an order mandating enlistment of youth which prompted many to try to leave the country. Myanmar's authorities on Thursday (May 3) announced that they are suspending all the applications from men for overseas work permits. The labour ministry announced that it has suspended the acceptance of applications from men seeking employment overseas temporarily in a statement released by the junta's information team late Thursday. This decision was deemed necessary to "take more time to verify departure processes and according to other issues," the statement read as reported by AFP. The junta implemented the conscription order in February, following which approximately 100,000 men requested work permits. According to media accounts, the order caused thousands of people to line up for visas outside foreign embassies in Yangon, while some crossed into neighbouring Thailand to avoid enlistment. Also read: Britain sanctions 2 Israeli groups, 4 individuals for violence in West Bank Men between the ages of 18 and 35 and women between the ages of 18 and 27 are required to serve a minimum of two years in the military. The recent crackdown on overseas employment is viewed as another major blow by Myanmar's military government. Numerous individuals in Myanmar have sought employment opportunities in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. Many Myanmar nationals are currently employed in various Asian countries. Previously, locals were permitted to seek employment abroad. Following the 2021 coup by the military, which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically-elected government, the junta has been facing resistance from various factions, leading to a civil war that has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and the displacement of a minimum of 2.6 million individuals, as reported by the UN.

Myanmar suspends foreign work permits as thousands try to flee after enlistment order

Watch the top headlines of the hour: - Myanmar hits record 48.2°C - Blinken in Saudi for talks on Gaza - Israel-Lebanon border heats up - Xi on Europe tour from May 5-10 - UK to start detaining Asylum seekers - At least 43 killed in Kenya Dam Burst

Kenya Dam Bursts: At least 43 killed in Central Kenya | Myanmar hits record 48.2°

In a coordinated early morning operation on Thursday Bangladesh repatriated 288 members of Myanmar Security Forces who had sought Refuge across the border. The group included members from the Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP), Army and immigration units.

Bangladesh repatriates Myanmar troops who fled conflict

Myanmar repatriates more Rohingya Refugees

Watch in the top headlines of the hour: - Elon Musk postpones India visit - Myanmar Junta, Armed rebels clash - Blasts rock military base in Iraq - Trump Hush Money Trial: Final jury named - Apple blocks WhatsApp in China app stores

Myanmar Junta, Armed rebels clash | Elon Musk postpones India visit

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