Nineteen Myanmar junta police officers were reportedly killed on Wednesday when the Arakan Army (AA) seized an outpost in Maungdaw Township near the Bangladesh border in northern Rakhine State.
The AA said in a statement that the seizure was in response to the shelling of civilians in Mrauk-U Township on Sunday.
On Sunday, three battalions based in the township and other regime forces bombed seven villages.
Three Rakhine civilians, Mg Myat Thu, five, U Hlat Thein, 38, and Daw Aye Nu Yin, 69, were killed and nine others wounded.
The AA said it also seized an army border base on Wednesday after a fierce clash.
It submitted a photo of the dead police officers, claiming that 19 personnel were killed, including Captain Soe Soe Paing, and a sergeant was seriously wounded. The AA said its troops suffered some casualties.
The group said it found many buried bodies of soldiers at the army base who were killed during recent fighting.
The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports.
Since August 2 fighting has occurred in the area and neighboring Paletwa Township, Chin State, after the AA attacks along the border.
Around six army border bases have been firing numerous shells after being attacked by the AA. Fighter jets and helicopters have also been deployed.
On Wednesday, 10 regime soldiers were reportedly killed by the AA near Myeik Wa village in Paletwa Township, the armed group claimed.
The junta faces attacks and ambushes from resistance forces across the country nearly every day.
