Updated

The military in Lesotho has occupied police stations and surrounded some government buildings in the capital of the mountainous country and are moving to other districts, a security guard at the U.S. Embassy said Saturday.

Gunfire that rung out early in the morning has since stopped, said Bernard Ntlhoaea, a guard at the U.S. Embassy in Maseru, Lesotho's capital. Some other residents were reporting continued gunfire over Twitter.

"The military has been moving around from 3 o'clock in the morning, occupying police stations in Maseru and moving around to other districts," said Ntlhoaea. He said the military was armed and he saw at least one armored personnel carrier on the streets.

Radio stations were not broadcasting, except for a Catholic station, which maintained normal programming, he said.

Lesotho, located within South Africa's borders, had undergone several military coups since gaining independence from Britain in 1966.