UN warns of 'intensified fighting' in Myanmar's Rakhine state

The United Nations called for "urgent measures to spare civilians" in Myanmar's conflict-wracked northwest on Sunday, saying fighting has intensified between the army and insurgents. The military has been battling the Arakan Army (AA) -- a rebel group seeking more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists -- in Myanmar's Rakhine and Chin states since January last year. Under lockdown and with an internet blackout across much of the conflict zone, reporting from the area is difficult to verify.