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Myanmar’s military-backed authorities says it has regained power of 2 towns adjacent the country’s borders with India and Thailand, marking a important beforehand successful the civilian warfare arsenic it seeks to reassert power of regions agelong held by absorption forces.
A study successful the state-run Myanma Alinn paper connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) said Tonzang, adjacent the borderline with India, was captured by the service connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026) aft 10 days of operations to retake it. The insubstantial published photos of soldiers who recaptured the municipality successful beforehand of the township’s administrative bureau and different departments.
That study came a time aft Myanma Alinn reported that the service connected Tuesday (May 19, 2026) retook power of Mawtaung, a strategically important borderline municipality for commercialized with Thailand, aft a two-week operation.
The Army’s recapture of Tonzang successful northwestern Chin authorities and Mawtaung successful the confederate Tanintharyi portion comes arsenic the service has regained the precocious manus successful the nationwide struggle since mid-2025, aft China-brokered ceasefires and a conscription-driven summation successful unit numbers.
The moves besides travel a period aft Min Aung Hlaing, President of Myanmar and the caput of the military-backed government, invited the country’s equipped absorption groups to caller bid talks.
Chin and Tanintharyi person seen aggravated struggle since the service seized powerfulness from the elected authorities of erstwhile State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi successful 2021. After peaceful demonstrations were enactment down with lethal force, galore opponents of subject regularisation took up arms, and galore parts of the state are present enmeshed successful civilian war.
Tonzang, astir 25 kilometres (15 miles) eastbound of the Indian border, had since May 2024 been nether the power of the allied Chin taste militias and section absorption forces.
Mawtaung, astir 630 kilometres (390 miles) southeast of Yangon, the country’s largest city, has been nether the power of the Karen National Union and different section absorption groups.
After much than 207 equipped engagements, the bodies of 24 members of the Karen National Union (KNU) and its allies were recovered and their ammunition supplies were captured, the paper study said, adding that immoderate members of the information forces were besides killed.
The KNU and different section absorption groups did not instantly respond to requests for comment.
Restrictions connected reporting marque autarkic confirmation of the recaptures of the towns virtually impossible, though the army’s assertion has not been challenged.
