London — More than 80 people have been killed by security forces in a crackdown on protests in Myanmar’s city of Bago, activists have said.

The Burmese military is reported to have taken away the bodies of those killed.

The exact number of deaths may never be accurately established, according to international media reports.

According to local media, soldiers used heavy weapons and had shot at anything that moved.

More than 600 people have been killed since last month’s military coup, BBC said.

The military has resorted to violence to maintain its grip on power, it added.

The latest killings in Bago are reported to have happened on Friday but took a whole day to emerge as many residents were forced to flee to nearby villages, according to BBC.

The monitoring group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said that the actual number of deaths was likely to be higher.

Meanwhile, mass protests have been taking place across Myanmar since the military seized control of the country on 1 February and declared a year-long state of emergency.