Fighting between Myanmar's military and anti-junta rebels has flared in recent days, and residents of one village said more than a dozen people were killed in a military raid.
Myanmar has been gripped by deadly violence since the military overthrew the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, according to the AFP news agency.
Thousands of people have been killed so far in Myanmar's military crackdown on dissent.
Myanmar has long battled the junta's anti-insurgency People's Defense Force (PDF) militia, as well as ethnic rebel soldiers who control the region near the country's borders.
A senior army officer, on condition of anonymity, has said that fighting has been going on in various areas of the country, Kachin, Karen and Kiah, in addition to Sagang and Magway in recent days.
Two residents of Son Chong, a village in Sagaing, considered a stronghold of resistance to junta rule, said 14 people were killed by the army during a raid on Friday morning.
These two persons have also said on the condition of anonymity that the army had come to the area in search of the leaders of the People's Defense Force.
It is reported that six of those killed during the raid were PDF fighters while the rest were civilians whose bodies were lying in the area as if they were trying to flee.
Fighting is also going on in Sagang and Magway, other parts of the country.
Another military source confirmed on condition of anonymity that raids and fighting are ongoing in the areas of the People's Defense Force in Sagaing and Magway areas these days. It should be noted that access to conflict-affected areas is extremely difficult for journalists, making independent verification of local information difficult.
In addition, US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken told Southeast Asian ministers earlier this month that Washington and regional states should pressure the junta to end violence and restore democracy in Myanmar.
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