At least eight people have been killed in explosions at Myanmar’s notorious Insein prison in Yangon.
Locals told BBC Burmese two parcel bombs went off at the entrance to the jail on Wednesday morning, killing three prison staff and five visitors.
Insein Prison is the country’s largest jail with close to 10,000 prisoners, many of whom are political prisoners.
No party has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. At least 10 other people were injured.
BBC Burmese reporters said the bombs went off in the prison’s mail room. There is a heavy military presence at the site currently.
The vast complex, on the outskirts of the former capital, is typically heavily-guarded.
The century-old prison is infamous for its harsh conditions and inhumane treatment of prisoners, rights groups say.
Myanmar is currently run by a military junta which toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected civilian government last year in a violent coup.
The junta faces stiff resistance in large parts of the country where there is an active guerrilla front known as the People’s Defence Force (PDF).
The extent of deadly fighting and battles this year have been indicative of a civil war, observers say.
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20 September
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2 February
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