YANGON, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- One police officer has been killed in clashes between Myanmar security forces and the ethnic insurgent groups of Arakan Army (AA) and Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in Maungtaw, Rakhine state, Myanmar News Agency reported Friday.
A section of the government's border security force, which was on security duty on Thursday at a bridge over Yebaukcha creek near Kalar Dayvad village close to a highway in Maungtaw, spotted a group of 30 AA and ARSA approaching from the west of the highway at 02:30 a.m. local time.
Fighting erupted between the two sides then, lasting until the security force reinforcement arrived at 04:00 a.m., forcing the insurgent groups to retreat to the west.
The Myanmar security force claimed that they confiscated several items left by the insurgent groups which include a blood-stained camouflage vest, three M-22 cartridges, 20 rounds of ammunition, two improvised explosive devices, a walkie talkie, a remote controller and a book printed in Arabic language.
The security force reinforcement column was continuing to pursue the retreating insurgent groups, the report said.
The AA, a non-signatory to the government's Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA), launched coordinated attacks on four border police outposts in villages in Buthidaung, Rakhine state on Jan. 4, killing 13 police officers and wounding nine others.
The ARSA was announced by the government as an extremist terrorist group following their deadly attacks on police outposts in Maungtaw in August 2017, killing five police members.
