The Arakan Army (AA), an armed resistance group, has said that it has released the detained 14 Border Police officers and four civilian women. They were captured during attacks on four border outposts in northern Rakhine State. The AA is not to be confused with any Muslim insurgency in Rakhine State. The attack coincided with Myanmar’s Independence Day on January 4. According to an article in The Irrawaddy, the group said it had released the captives “in line with international rules on the treatment of prisoners of war”. The Ministry of Information (MOI) stated that 14 policemen were killed and 9 wounded and ammunition was seized. The attacks took place in Buthidaung Township. “The AA’s actions tend to complicate and destabilize the situation in Rakhine. Members of the security forces will take effective action against the AA,” the MOI statement said. It is estimated that about 4,500 people have been displaced by renewed fighting between the AA and the Myanmar Army in recent months.