Two riot police personnel were stabbed to death and two others were critically injured on Friday in an altercation with local youth in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State.

"The incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. in Kathay Wra Ward on the outskirts of Sittwe after a quarrel between a group of riot policemen and local youths," an eyewitness said.

The quarrel started when the group of unarmed riot policemen in an inebriated condition disturbed the five local youths when they were strumming guitars in front of a house in Kathay Wra Ward.

During the quarrel, the riot police peronnel allegedly assaulted the youths first, and the youths then retaliated with knives, inflicting fatal and serious injuries on the four policemen. Two riot policemen died on the spot while two were rescued by fellow police personnel and driven out of the ward for medical attention.

After the attack, the youths fled to unknown locations and they continue to evade arrest by the authorities in Sittwe.

"Many police personnel have been deployed in the ward since then to look for the youth, but no one has been arrested yet. However, the authorities are interrogating their relatives about the incident," the eyewitness said.

The incident occurred after authorities deployed riot policemen in Sittwe to prevent protests by local monks against the regime.

It was learnt that the riot police personnel who were involved in the incident are from a platoon that is stationed at the office of the local ward council in Kathay Wra.