The official media said that the clashes in the villages of the Irrawaddy region caused three deaths, while the local media said that as many as 20 civilians were killed.

According to official media, fighting between Myanmar’s security forces and villagers holding catapults and crossbows in the Irrawaddy Delta has killed at least three people-although local media reported that as many as 20 people have been killed.

State television news reported that three “terrorists” were killed and two arrested in Hlayswe village on Saturday because security forces went to arrest a man accused of plotting against the country.

A military government spokesperson did not answer a call from Reuters, requesting comment on the violence in the village of Kyonpyaw Township, Ayeyarwady Province. Reuters could not independently confirm the death toll.

Since the military dismissed the Aung San Suu Kyi government in February, Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy has been paralyzed, citing unsubstantiated allegations of fraud during the 2020 elections.

At least four local media outlets and one resident said that before dawn on Saturday, clashes broke out in Hlayswe, about 150 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Yangon’s main city, when soldiers said they had come to find weapons.

“The only people in the village are crossbows, and there are many casualties on the people’s side,” said the resident, who asked not to be named, fearing retaliation.

Khit Thit Media and Delta News Agency said that 20 civilians have been killed and many more injured. They said that after the soldiers attacked the residents, the villagers tried to fight back with a catapult.

According to MRTV National Television, security forces were attacked by compressed air guns and darts. It said that after the shootout, the bodies of three attackers were found.

If confirmed, the death toll given by the local media will be the highest in a single day in the past two months.

The local “defense force”

According to a militant group, about 845 people have been killed by the army and police since the coup in February. The military government disputed this figure.

Several communities across Myanmar—especially towns and villages where the police caused a high death toll during the protests—have formed local “self-defense forces.”

But in conflicts with the Burmese army, their numbers and firearms are often outnumbered, and the Burmese army is one of the most tenacious and cruel troops in Southeast Asia.

Since the coup d’etat, conflicts have also broken out in the border areas, where about two dozen national troops have been fighting the country for decades.

The anti-military Rigou People’s Defense Force stated that it attacked a police station in northern Rigou along with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) on Friday night.

Reuters could not reach KIA for comment.

In eastern Myanmar, MBPDF (Mobye People’s Defense Forces) stated that it clashed with the army on Friday and four “terrorist soldiers” were killed.

Despite the turmoil, the Burmese army has hardly shown to listen to calls from opponents to relinquish control.

This week, the military government welcomed the first high-profile foreign tourists-the ICRC president and two ASEAN Special Envoy.

On Saturday, protesters in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, burned an ASEAN flag and accused the organization of legitimizing military rule.