50 people have died and nearly 2,000 homes set ablaze amid sectarian clashes between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's volatile west as security forces struggle to bring some semblance of order to the countryside, Voice of Russia reported.
In an effort to clamp down on the unrest, authorities sent extra security forces to the state of Rakhine, where at least 50 people have been killed and dozens more wounded, state officials said Thursday.
Rakhine is home to the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who say they have been persecuted by the Myanmar military during its decades of authoritarian rule. Myanmar does not recognize them as citizens.
According to the UN, thousands of locals are heading towards refugee camps which are already overcrowded since interethnic violence flared up in June.