Significant setbacks for Myanmar junta as rebel forces capture military bases

News Desk

The military junta in Myanmar has suffered significant losses, with armed rebel groups seizing multiple military bases and inflicting casualties on the junta’s forces.

Over the past three days, the conflict has escalated across various regions of Myanmar, resulting in the capture of military posts in Sagaing, Magwe, and Mandalay districts, as well as the Kachin and Karen states.

The rebel forces leading the charge are identified as the People’s Democratic Forces (PDF) and the Ethnic Armed Organization (EAO).

While the exact number of captured posts remains unconfirmed, reports from The Irrawaddy suggest that rebel forces have made substantial gains, dealing blows to the junta’s control in several key regions.

Despite the lack of an official statement from the military regarding the situation, sources indicate ongoing communication between the rebel forces, particularly the PDF and EAO, and the military’s media branch.

Rebel leaders claim that areas jointly occupied by PDF and EAO last year, including Sagaing, Magwe, Mandalay, Kachin, and Karen regions, were targeted for reoccupation by the military in January, leading to the current conflict.

In the past three days, rebel groups have successfully reclaimed many of the areas they lost earlier, marking a significant setback for the military junta and its supporters.

The conflict has resulted in the highest number of military casualties in Mandalay and Kachin State, intensifying the ongoing power struggle.

Myanmar has grappled with armed conflicts for over five decades, but the dynamics shifted dramatically in 2021 following the military coup on February 1.

The subsequent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters fueled widespread unrest, and armed resistance groups gained momentum.

In 2022, rebel groups, largely aligned with Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) and the National Unity Government (NUG), united against the military junta.

The conflict escalated further as the military employed airstrikes in response to the pro-democracy resistance.

The recent gains by rebel forces underscore the persistent challenges faced by the military junta in maintaining control, while the conflict continues to evolve, with far-reaching implications for the political landscape in Myanmar.