Myanmar Armed Ethnic Group Claims Successfully Seize Regional Military Headquarters

JAKARTA - The ethnic armed group in Myanmar said on Thursday it managed to take control of the main regional military headquarters near the border with China, which could be the biggest defeat recently to the ruling junta.

Myanmar's National Democratic Alliance (MNDAA) army said it had captured Lashio's strategic city in northern Shan State, about 120 km (75 miles) from the Chinese border, after 23 days of fighting with government forces.

"Our army has won a decisive victory and is now clearing the rest of the enemy forces. The city is now declared completely free," he said in a statement shared by its mouthpiece on social media, urging the public to remain calm and comply with city administration.

The MNDAA launched its latest attack after the recent collapse of a ceasefire brokered by China, which is concerned about fighting its border and its impact on trade.

Reuters was unable to independently verify claims the group and a spokesman for Myanmar's junta did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Meanwhile, Myanmar Now quoted the commander of another armed group fighting with MNDAA confirming the seizure of regional command headquarters in Lashio.

The MNDAA is one of several ethnic minority insurgent groups struggling to expel the military from what they consider their territory, in alliances with armed resistance movements that have launched a national campaign to weaken the junta's power.

The conflict has turned into a civil war which is one of the biggest challenges for the Myanmar military that has served well in its five decades of combined power. More than 2.6 million people have fled, according to the United Nations.

The military, which reclaimed power in 2021 after a decade of tentative democracy, has been burdened by fighting on various terrains across the country of 53 million people, hampering its ability to rule and manage a crippled economy.

The junta has described its opponents as "terrorists" who are trying to destabilize the country.

According to an earlier analysis by the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, the junta has no effective control over Myanmar, after losing authority over cities covering 86 percent of the country's territory and two-thirds of the population.