New York: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday expressed concern over reports of violence in Myanmar’s northwest and called for restraint to avoid ‘a humanitarian catastrophe.’

‘The secretary-general is deeply concerned by the reports of excesses during the security operations conducted by Myanmar’s security forces in Rakhine State and urges restraint and calm to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe,’ Guterres said in a statement.

Earlier, on 28 August, Antonio Guterres was deeply concerned by reports that civilians have been killed during security operations in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and appealed for neighboring Bangladesh to allow fleeing Rohingya to seek safety.

‘Many of those fleeing are women and children, some of whom are wounded,’ U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

‘(The Secretary-General) calls for humanitarian agencies to be granted unfettered and free access to affected communities in need of assistance and protection. The United Nations stands ready to provide all necessary support to both Myanmar and Bangladesh in that regard,’ Dujarric said.

Myanmar security forces intensified operations against Rohingya insurgents on Monday, police and other sources said, following three days of clashes with militants in the worst violence involving Myanmar’s Muslim minority in five years.

In Bangladesh on Monday, border guards tried to push back refugees stranded in no man’s land near the village of Gumdhum. Reuters reporters have heard gun fire from the Myanmar side in the last three days.