Fighting in Myanmar kills at least 15 after uprising call

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Fifteen to 20 villagers including several teenagers have been reported killed in some of Myanmar’s deadliest fighting since July between government troops and resistance forces. The fighting near Gangaw township in the northwestern Magway region started on Thursday. It followed a call for a nationwide uprising by the opposition National Unity Government, which seeks to coordinate resistance to military rule. A villager says members of a lightly armed self-defense militia fired warning shots but could not stop the soldiers and that clashes continued after that. He says 15 villagers were killed Thursday and Friday. Independent media put the total at 20 or more.