Myanmar says 163 killed in Rohingya attacks in past year

YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar officials say at least 163 people have been killed and 91 others have gone missing over the past year in attacks carried out by Rohingya Muslim militants in restive Rakhine state.

The comments were made Tuesday after the bodies of at least 45 slain Hindus were discovered in three mass graves. The government blames Muslim insurgents for the killings.

The government's Information Committee released a statement on its Facebook page saying that from October 2016 to August 2017, at least 79 people were killed in the attacks and 37 have gone missing, including local officials, public servants and security forces. Another 84 were killed and 54 have gone missing since Aug. 25, when the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, or ARSA, launched attacks on at least 30 police outposts.