A Myanmar military vehicle rammed anti-junta protesters in the largest city Yangon on Sunday morning, killing five people, according to online media outlet Myanmar Now.
Shortly after the start of a street march in Kyimyindaing Township at around 9 a.m., the vehicle rushed in from behind and plowed into participants, the junta-banned news organization reported.
It posted video footage of the incident on social media, while also reporting that 15 people were detained.
The U.S. Embassy located in the city said it was "horrified by reports that security forces opened fire against, ran over, and killed several peaceful protesters this morning in Yangon."
"We support the right of the people of Burma to protest peacefully. The military's widespread use of brutal violence underscores the urgency of restoring Burma's path to inclusive democracy," it said, referring to the country by its old name.
Violent crackdowns by Myanmar's security forces following the Feb. 1 coup have killed over 1,300 people, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights group tracking killings in the country, as the military shows no sign of relinquishing its rule after more than 10 months in power.
Meanwhile, a military press release said junta leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing met with the senior patron of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.
It said the top general met with 94-year-old Tin Oo, a former military commander-in-chief of the armed forces and co-founder of the NLD, Sunday morning at his home in Yangon and made health care arrangements for him.
It appeared to be the first time for the junta leader to meet with an NLD figure after the coup that toppled Suu Kyi's democratically elected government.
Suu and Win Myint, who was president in the NLD government that Suu Kyi led as state counsellor, are among those who have been detained since the coup that ended almost a decade of civilian rule. They face various charges such as incitement, electoral fraud and breaching COVID-19 restrictions.
In defiance of the coup, pro-democracy forces have launched what they call the National Unity Government as Myanmar's sole legitimate governing body. But the junta has designated it as a terrorist organization and put its members on a wanted list for suspected treason.
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