The conflict between the Myanmar military and rebels has escalated again when the rebels announced that they had just shot down a military plane.
A missile was launched from a military base in Lashio town, Shan state, northern Myanmar on October 28. Photo: AFP
Recently, the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF) announced that it had shot down a Myanmar military fighter jet in the eastern region, near the Thai border. This was a light fighter jet carrying two pilots that crashed in eastern Myanmar. The incident occurred when the KNDF and the Myanmar military clashed over the weekend.
However, Myanmar military government spokesman Zaw Min Tun said the plane was on a training flight and crashed due to engine failure. He added that both pilots had contacted the military.
Nearly 50,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Shan State, near the Chinese border, after three rebel groups launched an offensive against the government in northeastern Myanmar, the United Nations (UN) said. This is considered the largest attack by insurgent groups against Myanmar's military government since the 2021 coup.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, condemned all forms of violence and reiterated the need for civilians to be protected. He called for restraint, de-escalation and access to humanitarian aid.
The UN said key roads were blocked by checkpoints set up by both sides, and telephone and internet services were disrupted. The main airport in Lashio, Shan State’s largest town, has been closed since the fighting escalated.
Myanmar’s border region is home to more than a dozen rebel groups, some of which have been battling the military for decades for autonomy and control of natural resources. The region has also seen clashes between rebel groups and pro-military militias.
The Brotherhood Alliance, comprising the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Arakan Army (AA), launched Operation 1027 in late October 2023, attacking a series of Myanmar military bases in Shan and Kachin states. The Myanmar military admitted on November 2 that it had lost control of the strategic town of Chinshwehaw, bordering China's Yunnan province.
On November 4, the Brotherhood Alliance announced that it had seized dozens of outposts, four towns, and blocked important trade routes to China. The Myanmar military has not commented on the Brotherhood Alliance’s announcement, but has previously said that the armed group’s claims of “capturing several towns” were “propaganda.”
Earlier, the 143rd Brigade also surrendered to the insurgents in Shan State, before the Myanmar military announced it had lost control of the border town of Chinshwehaw. According to the MNDAA, the commander of the 143rd Brigade, stationed near Kan Mong village in Kunlong township, Shan State, decided to surrender rather than fight the insurgents to defend the base. The MNDAA said the group had allowed the 143rd Brigade soldiers to return to their families and provided them with travel expenses.
In addition to the 143rd Brigade, another Myanmar army infantry unit is said to have withdrawn from the outpost, located between Theinni and Lashio towns, when the TNLA rebel group attacked on the night of October 31.
The civil war in Myanmar has escalated, forcing many countries to begin evacuating their citizens. Thai authorities are rushing to bring home 162 Thais stranded in Myanmar, as fighting continues to escalate, forcing tens of thousands to flee the country.
Myanmar President Myint Swe has warned that the country risks being divided if the military fails to stop attacks from ethnic armed groups along the border with China.
HN synthesis
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