BREAKING NEWS: Myanmar Rebels Seize Last Military Base in Key Border Town
In a stunning development, rebels in Myanmar fighting against the military junta have successfully captured the final military base in a crucial border town, delivering a significant blow to the country’s ruling military regime.
About 200 soldiers abandoned their base in the southeastern town of Myawaddy and were forced to retreat to the No 2. Friendship Bridge connecting Myanmar to Thailand after a relentless attack by Karen resistance fighters on Wednesday night, according to a spokesperson for the Karen National Union (KNU) speaking to CNN on Thursday.
“Officially, we are in control of the town of Myawaddy since last night,” stated KNU spokesperson Saw Taw Nee. The loss of this major trading point with Thailand is a major setback for the military rulers, he added.
The KNU’s claim has not been independently verified by CNN. The spokesperson clarified that while the rebels have control of the town, they are still working to secure the border bridge as soldiers attempt to seek refuge in Thailand.
Myawaddy, a town of strategic importance with a population of 200,000, is located across from Thailand’s Mae Sot. The border crossing, previously under junta control, is crucial for trade, particularly for the flow of commercial goods and food into Myanmar.
The town is also known for housing multiple compounds where billion-dollar online scam factories operate, often exploiting foreign nationals in conditions resembling modern-day slavery. The UN estimates that up to 120,000 individuals may be held captive in such compounds across Myanmar.
Video footage shared by Reuters shows Myanmar citizens crossing into Thailand on Thursday, expressing fear amidst the ongoing conflict. Thai military vehicles and troops have been deployed along the border as a precaution.
The KNU, a prominent ethnic armed organization in Myanmar, announced that its armed wing successfully captured Battalion 275, the last remaining military base in Myawaddy, around 10 p.m. on Wednesday after failed negotiations with junta troops.
Since April 5, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and its allies have been engaging in battles around Myawaddy, seizing military outposts and bases on the town’s outskirts. The KNLA reported that 670 junta personnel surrendered following these attacks, with only Battalion 275 holding out until their retreat to the border bridge on Wednesday night.
Residents and resistance fighters in Myawaddy fear potential airstrikes by the military, similar to tactics used in other areas lost by the junta. As a precaution, some individuals have sent their families across the border to Thailand for safety.
Thailand’s Third Army Region Commander Lt. Gen. Prasarn Saengsirirak confirmed the capture of the base and cautioned Myanmar against any incursion into Thai territory, pledging to monitor any aircraft movements towards the border.
Analysts view the fall of Myawaddy as a critical turning point in the ongoing conflict, showcasing the junta’s inability to reverse its losses and regain control over territories lost to the resistance forces.
“Step by step, it’s just watching these losses and not being able to do anything in response,” remarked independent Myanmar researcher Kim Jolliffe. “That’s why it further confirms the junta is going to fall because it’s just not at any point displayed the ability to strategically reverse the situation and regain initiative.” — CNN
