Ethnic minority fighters opposing the ruling military junta in Burma announced on Saturday that they had taken control of the town of Namhsan in the north of the country, two days after China announced a ceasefire thanks to its mediation.
Fighting has raged near the Sino-Burmese border since the Arakan Army (AA), Burma National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the National Liberation Army came under attack in late October. The Tang (TNLA) launched a combined offensive against the central military force.
Analysts say the coalition’s control of military sites and border points vital for trade with China poses the biggest military challenge to the junta since it took power in 2021 and ousted Aung San’s democratically elected government.
On Thursday, Beijing announced a ceasefire between the three-group coalition and the Burmese army.
The TNLA announced the capture of Namhsan on Friday after launching an attack in the area more than two weeks ago.
“We have taken control of the town,” Brigadier-General Tar Bhun Kyaw told AFP, and the TNLA posted video footage on Facebook showing the group’s leaders visiting the town and speaking to captured junta soldiers.
For his part, Burmese army spokesman, Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, told state television MRTV on Friday that fighting continues around Namhsan.
According to TNLA Brigadier General Tar Bhun Kyaw, the Myanmar military has also lost an important trade corridor at the 105-mile point in Meuse, Shan State, on the border with China.
In total, the alliance of three ethnic groups claims to have captured 422 bases and seven towns from the Burmese army since October 27.
Their attack galvanized other opponents of the military junta, and clashes also occurred in the east and west of the country. More than half a million people were forced to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.
