As Myanmar's military celebrated the annual Armed Forces Day holiday with a parade Saturday in the country's capital, soldiers and police elsewhere reportedly killed dozens of people as they suppressed protests against last month's coup.

A count issued by an independent researcher in Yangon who has been compiling near-real time death tolls put the total killed by late Saturday afternoon at 74, spread over more than two dozen cities and towns. That would make it equal to the deadliest day since the coup.

A fire from a hurled Molotov cocktail broke out early Friday at the party headquarters of deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar's largest city, a party official said.

UPDATES with prisoners released, Suu Kyi hearing adjourned, ADDS details of silent strike protests

Myanmar's junta on Tuesday defended its seven-week crackdown that has left more than 260 democracy protesters dead, insisting it would not tolerate "anarchy".

Anti-coup protesters marched against the military junta at a pre-dawn rally in Myanmar's second largest city on Monday, a day after eight demonstrators were killed. 

Protesters took to the streets across Myanmar again on Saturday, defying the junta which has increasingly sought to crush the uprising with a campaign of violence and fear.

Plumes of smoke rose Wednesday above a part of Myanmar's biggest city that has turned into a battle zone, with burning barricades and security forces firing at unarmed anti-coup protesters to enforce martial law.

Security forces in Myanmar on Saturday again met protests against last month's military takeover with lethal force, killing at least four people by shooting live ammunition at demonstrators.

Three deaths were reported in Mandalay, the country's second-biggest city, and one in Pyay, a town in south-central Myanmar. There were multiple reports on social media of the deaths, along with photos of dead and wounded people in both locations.

Six protesters were killed in Myanmar on Thursday as the United Nations condemned the growing violence against anti-coup demonstrations.

Anti-coup protesters gathered across Myanmar on Monday, answering a trade union call for a general strike following a weekend of night raids and arrests.