Myanmar's military-controlled government has accused pro-democracy fighters of carrying out a nighttime mortar attack on Wednesday in the Sagaing region, resulting in 15 civilian deaths.

However, the People's Defense Forces (PDF) have denied these allegations. The attack took place in the village of Ngwe Twin, which is in the southern part of Sagaing and is seen as sympathetic to the government as the residents have been aiding in the military's counter-insurgency operations.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has reported that 3,750 civilians have been killed by the security forces and nearly 24,000 arrested since the military took power on Feb. 1, 2021.

In response to the military's seizure of power, peaceful opposition to the takeover has shifted to armed resistance in many parts of the country and the PDF groups have allied themselves with several armed ethnic minority groups that have been fighting for greater autonomy in Myanmar for decades. The NUG, a shadow civilian administration opposed to military rule, did not respond to a request for comment on the attack.

A fighter from one of the regional PDF groups confirmed the attack, saying the village was targeted because a pro-military militia operating from it had been aiding the army and also harassing pro-democracy villagers. The fighter added that all 15 people killed were members of the pro-military militia and that resistance forces had evacuated children and elderly people from the village during the fighting.

Another PDF group involved in the attack said on its Facebook page that 19 members of the military and its affiliated militia were killed and 20 others were injured. However, a family member who lost his 14-year-old brother in the attack told AP that 11 villagers who had been sheltering in the compound of a Buddhist monastery had been killed.

He added that the other four people killed were members of the pro-military militia and their family members. It is difficult to verify details of such incidents firsthand due to the military government’s tight restrictions on travel, but it is clear that the violence has not abated since the military seized power.

Civilians continue to suffer the consequences of the pro-democracy movement's armed resistance and the military's brutal counter-insurgency operations.