</s>Yangon: Myanmar`s army said Sunday that a mass grave of 28 Hindus had been discovered in violence-wracked Rakhine state, blaming the killings on Rohingya militants.

"Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly violently and killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State," a statement posted on the army chief`s website said.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is the group whose raids on police posts in August triggered a military backlash that resulted in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing for Bangladesh.</s>A mass grave of 28 Hindus had been discovered in violence-wracked Rakhine state, blaming the killings on Rohingya militants.

Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly violently and killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State," a statement posted on the Myanmar army chiefs website said, reports AFP.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is the group whose raids on police posts in August triggered a military backlash that resulted in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing for Bangladesh.

More than 18,000 Rohingya Muslims, many sick and some with bullet wounds, have fled the worst violence to grip northwest Myanmar in at least five years, while thousands more are stuck at the Bangladesh border or scrambling to reach it.</s>The Myanmar Army on Sunday claimed that it had found a mass grave of 28 Hindus killed by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in Ye Baw Kya village, AFP reported. Those killed included 20 women, six boys under the age of 10, and two men.

“Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly, violently killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State,” a statement on Myanmar Army Chief Min Aung Hlaing’s website said. Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay confirmed to AFP that the bodies had been discovered. An unidentified police officer in Rakhine claimed the deceased were found “buried with 10-15 bodies in each hole.”

Hindus living in Ye Baw Kya village said that militants entered the village on August 25, killed many people and carried others off into the forest, the report stated.</s>A senior police officer in northern Rakhine said they had been 'buried with 10-15 bodies in each hole.'

Rohingya Muslims, who crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, wait to receive handouts near Balukhali refugee camp, Bangladesh. (Photo: AP)

Yangon: Myanmar's army said Sunday that a mass grave of 28 Hindus had been discovered in violence-wracked Rakhine state, blaming the killings on Muslim Rohingya militants.

The announcement could not be independently verified in an region that has been seized by communal violence since Rohingya militant raids on August 25 triggered a sweeping security crackdown.

"Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly violently and killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State," a statement posted on the army chief's website said.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is the group whose attacks on police posts triggered an army backlash so brutal that the UN believes it amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority.

More than 430,000 Rohingya have fled the region to Bangladesh in under a month.

Some 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced, with some saying were terrorised by Rohingya militants.

The army said that security officers found 20 dead women and eight men in the graves, including six boys under the age of ten.

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay confirmed the discovery of the 28 bodies on Sunday.

A senior police officer in northern Rakhine said they had been "buried with 10-15 bodies in each hole."

The village where the army chief said the bodies were found, Ye Baw Kya, is near a cluster of Hindu and Muslim communities in northern Rakhine called Kha Maung Seik.

Hindus from the area have told AFP that militants swept into their villages on August 25, attacking people who stood in their way, killing many and taking others away into the forest.</s>YANGON: Myanmar’s army said on Sunday that a mass grave of 28 Hindus had been discovered in violence-wracked Rakhine state.

The announcement could not be independently verified in an region that has been seized by communal violence since Rohingya militant raids on August 25 triggered a sweeping security crackdown.

"Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly violently and killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State," a statement posted on the army chief’s website said.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is the group whose attacks on police posts triggered an army backlash so brutal that the UN believes it amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority.

More than 430,000 Rohingya have fled the region to Bangladesh in under a month. Some 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced, with some saying were terrorised by Rohingya militants.

The army said that security officers found 20 dead women and eight men in the graves, including six boys under the age of ten. Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay confirmed the discovery of the 28 bodies on Sunday.</s>Yangon division: Myanmar`s Army said Sunday that a mass grave of 28 Hindus had been discovered in violence-wracked Rakhine state.

They blamed the killings on Rohingya 'militants'.

"Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly violently and killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State," a statement posted on the Army chief`s website said.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is the group whose raids on police posts in August triggered a military backlash that resulted in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing for Bangladesh.

With the government blocking access to the conflict zone, it is difficult to verify the swirl of claims and counterclaims over who is driving the unrest, which has also displaced tens of thousands of Buddhists and Hindus.

But rights groups say there is overwhelming evidence that the army is using its crackdown on militants to systematically purge the 1.1-million strong stateless Rohingya from its borders, PTI reported.

Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi said last week that those who had been verified as refugees from her country would be allowed back.

Myanmar has dismissed accusations of ethnic cleansing, saying it has to tackle the insurgents, whom it accuses of setting fires and attacking civilians as well as the security forces, as per Reuters.

Tension between majority Buddhists and Rohingya, most of whom are denied citizenship, has simmered for decades in Rakhine, but it has exploded several times over the past few years, as old enmities, and Buddhist nationalism, surfaced with the end of decades of harsh military rule.</s>Myanmar's army said Sunday it had discovered a mass grave containing the bodies of 28 Hindus, including women and children, in violence-wracked Rakhine state, blaming the killings on Muslim Rohingya terrorists.

Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose August 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence.

The announcement could not be independently verified in a region where access has been tightly controlled by Myanmar's army.

"Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly and violently killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State," a statement posted on the army chief's website said.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is the group whose attacks on police posts triggered an army response.

More than 430,000 Rohingya have fled the region to Bangladesh in under a month.

Around 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced by the violence.

Both communities have told AFP they were terrorised by Rohingya terrorists.

The army said that security officers found a total of 20 dead women and eight men in two graves, including six boys under the age of ten.

A strong smell led security officers to the burial site outside of Ye Baw Kya village, the army said.

Unverifiable photos published by the government's Information Committee showed corpses laid out in rows on grass near two mud pits where they were found.

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay confirmed the grim discovery to AFP, as did a senior police officer in Rakhine who requested anonymity.

The village where the bodies were found, Ye Baw Kya, lies near a cluster of Hindu and Muslim communities in northern Rakhine called Kha Maung Seik.

Last week Hindus from the area told AFP that militants swept into their villages on August 25 with sticks and knives, attacking people who stood in their way, killing many and taking others into the forest.

Hindu women are believed to have been abducted by the terrorists.

The grim discovery of the graves will further fuel already white-hot hatred between ethnic groups in Myanmar.</s>A mass grave containing dead bodies of Hindus has been found in Myanmar and the country's army has blamed Rohingya extremists for the slaughter. Many of the Hindu victims were either women or children, said the military.

Situation in Myanmar's Rakhine state has constantly worsened since late August after violence broke out in the region forcing as many as 420,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. Myanmar's military blamed the armed Rohingya insurgents for launching an attack on them and triggering a fresh bout of violence.

In the latest development, the Myanmar military on Sunday, 24 September, said it has found a mass grave of 28 dead bodies of Hindus. However, it is yet to be independently confirmed.

"Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly and violently killed by ARSA [Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army] extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State," the army said in a statement. Hundreds of Hindus have also escaped from the restive Rakhine region in the past weeks amid the ongoing mass Rohingya exodus.

The ARSA was the organisation accused of mounting an attack against the security forces in August. The government has also later corroborated the accounts of mass grave to the AFP news agency. Unverifiable pictures of the mass grave have also surfaced.

"The Burmese usually don't know the Rohingya language. Though the attackers covered their face with dark clothes, they seemed to be Rohingyas," a Hindu victim, who has been displaced and faced the wrath of Rohingya violence, told the Bangladesh-based BDNews24.com on condition of anonymity.

Discovery of Hindu mass graves is bound to escalate the sharply polarised conflict along the communal lines. Rakhine region is not just home for the ethnic Rohingya Muslims, who are largely considered stateless minorities by the Buddhist-majority Myanmar, but also an array of similar communities.</s>YANGON: Myanmar's army said on Sunday (Sep 24) it had discovered a mass grave containing the bodies of 28 Hindus, including women and children, in violence-wracked Rakhine state, blaming the killings on Muslim Rohingya militants.

Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose Aug 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence.

The announcement could not be independently verified in an region where access has been tightly controlled by Myanmar's army.

"Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly and violently killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State," a statement posted on the army chief's website said.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is the group whose attacks on police posts triggered an army backlash so brutal that the UN believes it amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority.

More than 430,000 Rohingya have fled the region to Bangladesh in under a month, telling stories of Myanmar soldiers teaming up with vigilante mobs to slaughter civilians and burn entire villages to the ground.

Around 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced by the violence. Both communities have told AFP they were terrorised by Rohingya militants.

The army said that security officers found a total of 20 dead women and eight men in two graves, including six boys under the age of ten.

A strong smell led security officers to the burial site outside of Ye Baw Kya village, the army said.

Unverifiable photos published by the government's Information Committee showed corpses laid out in rows on grass near two mud pits where they were found.

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay confirmed the grim discovery to AFP, as did a senior police officer in Rakhine who requested anonymity.

The village where the bodies were found, Ye Baw Kya, lies near a cluster of Hindu and Muslim communities in northern Rakhine called Kha Maung Seik.

Last week Hindus from the area told AFP that militants swept into their villages on August 25 with sticks and knives, attacking people who stood in their way, killing many and taking others into the forest.

Hindu women are believed to have been abducted by the militants.

The grim discovery of the graves will further fuel already white-hot hatred between ethnic groups in Myanmar.

The epicentre of the unrest, in northern Rakhine, is dominated by Rohingya Muslims who are a minority elsewhere and have been the target of decades of state-backed persecution and discrimination.

Around half of their estimated 1.1 million population has fled over the last year.

Northern Rakhine is also home to ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, Hindus and a myriad of other groups.

Religious tensions have simmered for years, erupting into sporadic bouts of violence.

But the scale of the latest unrest is the worst to hit the region in years.

While the wretched lines of Rohingya streaming into Bangladesh have shocked and alarmed the world, there is scant sympathy for the Muslim group inside Myanmar.

Many in the Buddhist majority view the group as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite their long-established roots in the country.
A mass grave of 28 Hindus, including children, allegedly slain by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, is discovered by the Myanmar Army.