Myanmar junta, ethnic armed group claim control of military regional HQ

Following days of fighting, the junta of Myanmar and an ethnic minority armed group both claimed on Thursday ( Jul 25 ) that they were in charge of a town and regional military command in northern Shan state.

Fighting has rocked the city of Lashio, house to the government’s northern order, since Jul 3, when an ally of ethnic armed groups renewed an unpleasant against junta forces.

The group “fully captured the headquarters of the Northeast Military command in Lashio,” according to local media run by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army ( MNDAA ), and it also “fully captured Lashio town, home to about 150, 000 people.

However, Zaw Min Tun, a dictatorship official, stated to reporters that the claim was “untrue.”

” The insurgents infiltrated the outskirts of Lashio so ( the security forces ) have been following and clearing them”, he said, without giving details.

A MNDAA spokeswoman could not be reached for comment.

North of Lashio is where the northern order is located.

Lonely roads with no men in view were depicted in a film that was uploaded to social internet claiming to have been shot in Lashio on Thursday night.

Around 2 kilometers from the control, AFP reporters have geolocated the picture to a location in the city.