Myanmar: Six Military Killed in Clashes With Civilians

Local outlet Irrawaddy reported that six members of the Burmese security forces were killed and 12 others were injured Sunday in clashes with civilians in the Sagaing region amid protests against the February 1 coup d'état.

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The clashes occurred after the military fired on and destroyed several protest barricades in Myingyan City, injuring at least three people.

Protesters responded to the attack, killing six and injuring 12 security forces. Reporters did not specify what kind of weapons the citizens used. In this city, there was also a bomb attack on a branch of the KBZ bank, which has been accused of financing the Burmese Army and doing business with it.

Between March 3 and April 17, over 730 civilians have been killed by the military who have been trying unsuccessfully to suppress the anti-dictatorship protests.

Most of the protests against the coup have been peaceful but some demonstrators began to use violence to defend themselves against the military.

The UN warned of the possibility of increased violence in Myanmar, a country where the army has stepped up attacks against some of the ethnic guerrillas that have been taking up arms for decades to demand greater autonomy in their regions.

Some of these ethnic groups such as the Karen Union Army and the Kachin Independence Army expressed their support for the civil disobedience movement.