Discovery of 5 bodies points to suspicious terrorist training site in W. Myanmar

Five bodies were found by the security forces in Buthedaung township in Myanmar's western Rakhine state in connection with the May 5 bomb blast, the State Counselor's Office said Tuesday.

Among the five bodies unearthed near the site of the explosion in Thaenhi village over the last three days, two were identified as foreigners and three were locals, the office's information committee said.

Along with the bodies, the security forces also found materials commonly used in improvised explosive devices and two plots of cleared land likely to be used for building huts.

The authorities have suspected that the area may have been used for terrorist training.

An explosion took place at the edge of a jungle near the Thaenhi village on May 5, prompting the security forces to conduct area clearance.

Tension has been going on in the western state, especially after the October 9 violent attacks by armed men on three border posts in Maungtaw which triggered the formation of an investigation commission, led by First Vice President U Myint Swe, to investigate the background of the incident.

The armed men's attack on three border posts, namely Kyikanpyi in Maungtaw, Kotankauk in Buthedaung and Ngakhuya Office, killed five soldiers and eight policemen. Endit