Myanmar's Rakhine state engulfed by conflict as rebels claim victory

BANGKOK -- Intense fighting in Myanmar's Rakhine state between the military regime and the Arakan Army (AA) ethnic armed group has dealt a further setback to the country's military rulers. It has also fueled concerns about mass displacement and the destruction of dwellings amid spiraling communal tensions between ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya.

The AA said on Sunday it had taken complete control of Buthidaung township in northern Rakhine, about 35 kilometers from the border with Bangladesh, following the fall of the regime's strategic military command base on Saturday.