YANGON: Myanmar’s junta announced on Thursday it had regained control of a strategic gold mining town after months of fierce fighting with anti-coup forces.
This marks the second key territorial recovery in a week as the military pushes back against rebel advances.
The conflict, which erupted following the 2021 coup, has seen pro-democracy groups and ethnic armed organizations challenge junta authority.
After initial setbacks, rebel alliances launched coordinated offensives in late 2023, securing significant northern territories.
State media reported troops “fully retook” Thabeikkyin, located 100 km north of Mandalay, following 17 major battles.
The Irrawaddy riverside town serves as a vital hub for gold extraction, a resource fiercely contested by warring factions.
Local resident Ye Dinn described dire conditions: “People have nothing to eat and no place to flee to.”
Others reported sheltering in forests and religious buildings amid ongoing clashes.
The junta’s recent recapture of Nawnghkio, another strategic town near Mandalay, suggests a renewed military push to secure resource-rich regions.
Rebel forces maintain pressure elsewhere, ambushing junta river convoys this week.
Control of mining areas like Thabeikkyin and Mogok’s ruby fields remains pivotal for funding both sides’ war efforts.
The UN estimates 3.5 million displaced civilians, with over half Myanmar’s population now living in poverty. – AFP
