Myanmar rebel groups have seized several more outposts as they launch an anti-government offensive in the country's northeast.
Local media reported that the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) today captured two more outposts of pro-Myanmar military militia near Lashio, the largest town in Shan State and home to the country's northeastern army headquarters.
The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) said it had also captured three outposts in the east.
The Brotherhood Alliance, made up of rebel groups MNDAA, TNLA and Arakan Army (AA), says it has so far taken control of dozens of outposts and four towns, blocking key trade routes to China.
A missile was launched from a military base in Lashio town, Shan state, northern Myanmar on October 28. Photo: AFP
Myanmar’s military government has not commented on today’s clashes. But a spokesman on November 2 dismissed claims by the Brotherhood Alliance that it had seized several towns in Shan.
The government said today that the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), a rebel group based in neighboring Kachin state, had joined the attacks on Myanmar’s military. The Myanmar government said it would respond.
Local media said the Myanmar military shelled the town of Laiza near the Chinese border, where the KIA is headquartered.
Myanmar’s border region is home to more than a dozen rebel groups, some of which have been battling the military for decades for autonomy and control of natural resources. The region has also seen clashes between rebel groups and pro-military militias.
On October 27, the Brotherhood Alliance launched Operation 1027, attacking a series of Myanmar military bases in Shan and Kachin states. This is considered the largest attack by insurgent groups against Myanmar's military government since the 2021 coup.
Location of Lashio town and Shan State, Myanmar. Graphic: Crisis Group
Myanmar's military said on November 2 it had lost control of the strategic town of Chinshwehaw, bordering China's Yunnan province, after days of clashes with rebels.
China on the same day called for an immediate ceasefire in Shan state, which is part of a multi-billion-dollar railway plan under Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.
Thanh Tam (According to AFP )
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