YANGON, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Three staff from the Department of Immigration and Population were abducted by an ethnic insurgent group in Myanmar's Rakhine state, according to the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services on Thursday.
Three male staff were taken by the Arakan Army (AA) on their return from Buthidaung township to the unit on Tuesday afternoon.
Carrying passengers including immigration and population department staff, a boat travelling to Taung Bazar village along Mayu river was hailed by an unidentified civilian at 02:00 p.m. local time.
About five members of the AA insurgent group in civilian clothes aimed pistols at the passengers and kidnapped three staff members including an assistant director of the department, according to the release.
Investigation and search operations for the abductees are underway by the local security forces.
