YANGON, Myanmar, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Police in Myanmar's former capital, Yangon, warned the public to be on the lookout for suspicious packages after several bombs were discovered there.
Myanmar has struggled to maintain a state of national security since general elections in 2010 brought an end to formal military rule.
A bomb blast last week left two people dead in Yangon and a small device was discovered Monday in Mandalay, Thai newspaper The Irrawaddy reported.
Police in the former capital said the explosive devices were meant as a scare tactic more than a direct threat to civilians. The Irrawaddy said such security incidents were common under military rule but died down in recent years.
The Thai newspaper last week reported hundreds of Muslims from Rakhine fled to Yangon to escape religious persecution in the western coastal state. The report said although Muslims are often subjected to arrest in Yangon the refugees had found "no discrimination" in the city.
The U.S. Embassy in Yangon said it was monitoring the security situation after at least one person was killed and scores of homes were burned to the ground during violence against the Muslim minority in Rakhine.
