Myanmar troops retreat as rebels declare control over key border town - CNA

BORDER CROSSINGS

The assault on Myawaddy began last week after the KNU said it had attacked a junta camp near the town, forcing about 500 security personnel to surrender, along with their families.

The military has already lost control of areas along Myanmar's borders with Bangladesh, China and India, while suffering a significant loss of manpower that has pushed it to introduce a draft for the first time.

"Next the resistance forces might go after major towns across Myanmar," said political analyst Than Soe Naing, adding that Myanmar's resistance forces control almost all border trading posts after the latest takeover in Myawaddy.

Border crossings in the area were open for civilians who were arriving in Thailand from Myanmar in large numbers, said police official Borwornphop Soontornlekha, the immigration superintendent in Tak, the province where Mae Sot is located.

"Usually there are about 2,000 people who cross into Mae Sot from Myawaddy each day but the last three days the number was almost 4,000 a day," Borwornphop told Reuters.

Families with children were among the long queues at one border crossing near Mae Sot on Thursday, as Thai soldiers checked the bags and belongings of those going across.

Thailand's military has stepped up security on its side of the border, using army vehicles equipped with roof-mounted machine guns.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who earlier told Reuters the Myanmar junta was "losing strength" and pushed to open talks with the regime, said on Thursday the recent fighting should not spill into his country's airspace.

Thailand remains neutral in the Myanmar conflict and is able to accept up to 100,000 people displaced by the turmoil, its foreign minister has said.

At least 2,000 people have been displaced within Myanmar by the latest round of fighting between the rebels and the military, according to civil society group Karen Peace Support Network.

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2024-04-11 07:47:36Z
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