YANGON: Renewed violence between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya has left three people dead in Myanmar, a government official said on Monday, amid growing international concern about the sectarian unrest.

The fighting in western Rakhine state has killed 80 people from both sides since June, official figures show, although authorities say the situation has been generally calm in recent weeks.

The new casualties, who were not identified, died on Sunday in Kyauktaw about 100 kilometres north of the state capital Sittwe, said the official. Five others were reported wounded.

“The situation is calm and back to normal already,” the official said.

“We do not know why it started again.” The violence initially broke out in June following the rape and murder of a Rakhine woman and the subsequent lynching of 10 Muslims by a crowd of angry Buddhists.—AFP