"A surge in fighting between the Myanmar military and insurgents has killed at least 32 civilians, mostly women and children, in the restive Rakhine and Chin states, the U.N. human rights office said on Friday, adding the military had destroyed homes and schools. Myanmar’s military denies targeting civilians and a spokesman on Friday declined to respond to the allegations. The Arakan Army, an insurgent group seeking greater autonomy for the region, has been battling government troops for more than a year. “Myanmar’s military has been carrying out almost daily air strikes and shelling in populated areas resulting in at least 32 deaths and 71 injuries since 23 March, the majority women and children, and they have also been destroying and burning schools and homes,” U.N. human rights office spokesman Rupert Colville told a Geneva news briefing. He later said that the 32 were civilians..."