Myanmar Junta Troops Clash With 'Self Defense' Forces

Myanmar troops killed several members of a local "defense force" in a day of clashes, the junta said Friday, with local residents and media reporting at least 10 dead.

The country has been in turmoil since a February coup and a military crackdown on dissent that has killed more than 1,000 people, according to a local monitoring group. In some areas, locals -- often using hunting rifles or homemade weapons -- have formed "defense forces" to fight back. Junta troops were attacked with "small arms and homemade guns" as they entered Myin Thar village in the western Magway region on Thursday, army spokesman Zaw Min Tun told state-backed People Media.