Myanmar junta admits to facing "heavy assault" from insurgents in three separate states as rebel forces claim to have captured towns and outposts.
The anti-coup forces were said to have staged a coordinated offensive at the end of last month and made claims that they had recaptured border areas and dozens of military bases. In a statement, spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said that military troops were being sieged by a significant number of armed rebel soldiers.
Myanmar's Regional Conflict
These attacks were being conducted in Shan State in the north, Kayah State in the east, and Rakhine State in the west. The rebel forces were also said to have used "hundreds" of drones to drop bombs on several military outposts and the official said that some sites were forced to order evacuations.
The Asian country was plunged into a crisis when the nation's generals seized power from the elected government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup that was held in February 2021. Millions of people took to the streets to protest the coup and called for the restoration of democracy, as per Aljazeera.
However, when the military responded to the demands with force, some civilians subsequently took up arms and joined forces with ethnic armed groups. The latter have long been fighting for self-determination.
There were at least 4,185 civilians and anti-coup activists who have lost their lives in the violence since the start of the regional conflict. The statistic was released by a Myanmar non-profit organization, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners which is tracking the crackdown.
The rebel forces' latest offensive code-named Operation 1027 started in Shan State located near the border with China on Oct. 27. It was led by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which is a grouping of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Arakan Army (AA).
Fighting Against the Military Junta
Zaw noted that they were quickly taking measures to protect against the drone bomb attacks effectively. Government staff in the capital, Naypyidaw, were ordered to form units to respond to "emergency" situations. The order was announced by Naypyidaw Council secretary Tin Maung Swe who denied that it was in response to the security situation, according to Reuters.
Tin said that it was a plan that was made in case of an emergency, particularly providing natural disasters as an example. On the other hand, a parallel government that was formed by pro-democracy politicians to oppose the military has launched a "Road to Naypyidaw" campaign.
This was done in alliance with some insurgent factions within the country that they said sought to take back control of the capital. The military's State Administration Council (SAC) said in an order on Wednesday that all individuals with basic military training should be prepared to go and serve.
On that same day, the commander in chief of the armed forces Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing called a meeting of the defense and security council. He said that the military had already lost control of three towns in Shan State, said the New York Times.
