In a statement Facebook said it had closed accounts in multiple countries including Myanmar, from government or military-linked networks it said were spreading disinformation.

In Myanmar - which heads to the polls next month - Facebook said it had removed 17 pages, 50 accounts and six Instagram accounts.

Many of these were critical of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, as well as a "small number" targeting the long-persecuted Rohingya Muslim community.

"Our investigation found links to members of the Myanmar military," said Facebook, which is scrambling to improve its image in a nation where online hate speech is thought to have spilled into offline violence.

The platform said it had also removed more than 850 dubious accounts spanning Nigeria, Azerbaijan, the US, Kenya and Botswana in the first week of October alone.

Last month it closed 511 accounts, mainly based in Russia, China and the Philippines.

AFP