Several people are said to have died during clashes between armed protesters and Myanmar's military junta in the western Chin state over the past few days.
According to one of dpa's sources on the ground in the town of Mindat and local media reports, at least seven civilians had been killed as of Sunday.
The fatalities had been members of the civilian defence forces in the town who had died during the military's attacks with "heavy weapons," the source, who asked not to be named, told dpa.
Local media outlets Myanmar Now and The Irrawaddy spoke of five to eight fatalities, adding that over a dozen people had been injured during the clashes.
The army has not disclosed any possible fatalities on its part yet.
Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director for Human Rights Watch on Sunday strongly criticised the military's operation in Mindat.
"Now that the military has taken control in Mindat, new fears have come to the fore about possible arbitrary arrests, abuses and torture in custody, retaliation against militants' families, and other rights abuses long associated with the Tatmadaw operating in the field," he said in a statement, using the official Burmese name for the armed forces.
"Myanmar should recognise the world is watching what is happening in Mindat, stop all human rights abuses, and ensure that all persons remaining there have access to medical care and other critical humanitarian services."
According to media reports, thousands of Mindat's inhabitants were forced to leave the town due to the heavy fighting.
The US embassy in Yangon also strongly condemned the junta's activities in the region: "The military's use of weapons of war against civilians, including this week in Mindat, is a further demonstration of the depths the regime will sink to to hold onto power. We call on the military to cease violence against civilians," it said in a tweet on Saturday.
The Chinland Defence Force was formed on April 4 by the civilians in nine townships in Chin state, including Mindat, to defend against what it dubs the junta's bully tactics. Mindat had been the most active town in the fight against the military coup.
The civilians from Mindat have been fighting with the advantage of knowing the region's geography and their hunting skills, using handmade rifles and bombs against the junta.
However, the junta seized the mountain town on Saturday after flying in reinforcements by helicopter.
The military in the South-East Asian country staged a coup on February 1 and ousted the civilian head of government, Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, Myanmar has been plunged into chaos and violence.
The Myanmar military has since then been launching brutal attacks and raids on protesters and civilians across the country as well as in Chin state to stop the anti-coup activities.
According to estimates by the prisoners' aid organisation AAPP, at least 790 people have been killed since the coup. More than 5,000 have been imprisoned.
Australian Associated Press
