The commander-in-chief’s office on Thursday said forces are conducting new rounds of operations in conflict-hit Rakhine state after four local Buddhists were attacked and two killed in one of the incidents blamed on Rohingya militants.

The violence occurred around the evening of December 17 in northern Rakhine state’s Maungdaw township, the same area where forces waged a bloody crackdown against the Rohingya last year.

More than 7,20,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after Myanmar launched clearance operations in August 2017, and UN investigators want the country’s top brass prosecuted for genocide for alleged abuses carried out during the expulsion.

Myanmar said it was defending itself against Rohingya militants who attacked police posts and has denied almost all claims of atrocities.