Save the Children confirms death of two staffers in Myanmar massacre

Save the Children on Tuesday confirmed that two of its staff were killed in a Christmas Eve massacre which is being blamed on military junta troops. The massacre left charred bodies of more  than 30 people on a highway located in eastern Myanmar.

Fighters opposing military junta said that they found 30 burnt bodies. Those dead included women and children. The highway where the bodies were found is in Kayah state where  pro-democracy rebels have been fighting the military.

Save the Children later said two of its staff members had been caught up in the incident and were missing.

Myanmar has been in chaos since the February coup, with more than 1,300 people killed in a crackdown by security forces, according to a local monitoring group.
Self-proclaimed "People's Defence Forces" have sprung up across the country to fight the junta, and drawn the military into a bloody stalemate of clashes and reprisals.

On Tuesday Save the Children confirmed in a statement that the two men were "among at least 35 people, including women and children, who were killed."

"The military forced people from their cars, arrested some, killed many and burnt the bodies," it said, adding the two men were both new fathers.

"This news is absolutely horrifying," said chief executive Inger Ashing.

"We are shaken by the violence carried out against civilians and our staff, who are dedicated humanitarians, supporting millions of children in need across Myanmar."

(With inputs from agencies)