Kunming (China), Aug 28 (Xinhua) About 10,000 citizens of Myanmar have fled to neighbouring China's Yunnan province Friday morning following clashes in their region, the provincial government said.

Fighting broke out Thursday afternoon in the Kokang area of Shan state in northeastern Myanmar, which caused panic among the residents and forced them to flee to the neighbouring Yunnan province, the foreign affairs office of the Yunnan provincial government said in a statement.

Yunnan is putting them up in seven settlements.

Clashes are taking place in Myanmar between security forces and an armed ethnic group.