Witnesses say three people were killed, dozens wounded and at least three women raped in an army crackdown on protesters in the town of Gueckedou, located 700 kilometers (430 miles) southeast of Guinea's capital, Conakry.

Sayon Teliano, one of the emergency personnel, said three bodies were brought to the morgue. The events occurred Tuesday when the army came to disperse demonstrators calling for the resignation of the region's prefect.

Several witnesses said that the military opened fire with live ammunition. Three residents, including the aunt of one of the victims, charged that some of the soldiers raped three young women, using the chaos to enter their homes and assault them. Guinea's army is among the most tarnished in Africa with a long history of abuse against civilians, including systematic rape.