Almost 90 people have been killed during the worst outbreak of violence in the country since a failed coup in May.
There are reports of scores of bodies lying on the streets of the Burundi capital, Bujumbura (boo-jum-boo-rah), as blood continues to flow in the beleaguered country.
This latest violence ignited when gunmen attacked three military sites, prompting a heavy retaliation from security forces.
Army spokesman Gaspard Baratuza calls the response from police a "sweep operation", adding the assailants were either killed or captured.
"On the side of the enemy 79 of them died, 45 have been captured, 97 arms seized and lot of ammunitions. On our side, we lost eight soldiers, four of them from the army and four of them from the police. 21 have been injured; nine soldiers and 11 police."
But some citizens have a different version of events.
Witnesses say security forces killed unarmed men, reportedly shooting them dead execution-style.
Some bodies have also been found with their hands bound.
One resident claims her son was one of the dozens executed.
"As I was trying to close the door I saw a bunch of policemen walking past then they spotted a bunch of men in the area and they asked them to stop. The men got scared and they started running and the policemen started opening fire. At that time our son was trying to close the door and when the soldiers spotted him they just shot him there and then."
The latest round of deadly clashes come amid escalating turmoil over the the disputed third term of President Pierre Nkurunziza.
Protests began in April upon Mr Nkurunziza's announcement he would seek to remain in power, with opposition groups claiming he was ineligible to run again.
A deadly attempt by an army general to overthrow the regime failed in May, with ensuing elections in July shrouded in controversy.
At least 240 people have been killed and more than 200,000 have fled to neighbouring countries since April, which has raised fears of a civil war.
But rather than address those concerns during a rally in the city, Burundi's Vice-President, Gaston Sindimwo, instead heaped praise on authorities.
"We congratulate and thank our security forces that continue to protect our country. Today they protect the world. The moderator said it well: Somalia was chaos, as well as the Central African Republic, but with the arrival of our troops, they have brought peace and security."
The United States government has condemned the violence and urged US citizens in Burundi to immediately leave the country.
Meanwhile, former colonial power Belgium and advocacy group Human Rights Watch have called for an investigation.
