Over 1,200 people from Myanmar's restive Arakan state have crossed the border and taken shelter in Mizoram's Lawngtlai district, officials said on Saturday.
The people who crossed over recently were mostly Buddhists and Christians and speak the same tribal language as the local residents. They fled their homes after the Myanmarese Army clashed with 'Arakan Army' militants recently.
The government officials, on condition of anonymity, said 500 people took shelter in Laitlang village while Zochachhuah, Hmawngbuchhuah and Dumzautlang villages hosted 420, 200 and 120 people, respectively.
"Several of them have put up at their relatives' place, while the others were provided accommodation in village community halls and school classrooms," an official said.
The official said that this is the fourth instance in recent months of Myanmarese refugees entering the state.
Village leaders informed officials that the Arakanese people said they heard gunshots even on the night of November 23 and expected more people to pour into the district.
The local residents volunteered to provide food to the Arakanese people and arranged shelter for them.
