Myanmar's military council troops arrested civilians, including children, after occupying a village in Magway region’s Tilin township.

A resident of Pon Nar village told RFA around 120 junta troops raided it early Tuesday morning after firing heavy artillery.

“About 30 villagers were arrested, but 21 were released along the way,” said the local, who didn’t want to be named for safety reasons.

“Nine villagers who were arrested were taken to Tilin township, including four minors.”

Locals said the raid took the villagers by surprise so they did not have time to escape and they were interrogated by the troops. They said soldiers tried to persuade them not to support anti-junta People’s Defense Forces.

There are around 70 houses in Pon Nar, with more than 200 residents. Soldiers burned down four houses, according to residents, who said there were no casualties during the raid.

Military battalion 50, based in Gangaw township in Magway region, carried out the raid according to residents.

RFA’s calls to Soe Paing Mying, the junta council spokesman for the Magway regional government, went unanswered on Tuesday and the State Administration Council has not released a statement on the raid or the arrests.

According to the Assistance Association for the Political Prisoners (Burma) a total of 15,622 people have been arrested in Myanmar, with 12,519 still detained, since the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.