11 Rebel Bases Fall As Myanmar Military Steps Up Offensive Against Resistance Forces

Myanmar's military has captured a key resistance command headquarters and 10 other bases in the country's south, marking a significant battlefield gain as the army intensifies efforts to reclaim territories held by pro-democracy fighters and ethnic armed groups.

The 11 captured positions were located in a jungle area along the border between Mon state and the Bago region, around 120 kilometres (75 miles) northeast of Yangon, Myanmar's largest city. The military operation lasted six days and began approximately a week before the announcement, according to the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper on Tuesday.

Among the captured positions were the special region command headquarters of the National Unity Government (NUG) and a battalion headquarters of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), a prominent ethnic rebel organisation.

The state media report said troops seized small arms, ammunition, vehicles, drones and computers following four armed engagements. It also published photographs of soldiers at the captured bases and the recovered equipment. The military said security operations in the region would continue.

However, the reported capture could not be independently verified because the military restricts journalists' access to the area. The NUG and KNU had not immediately responded to requests for comment.

The development represents another setback for resistance forces fighting Myanmar's military since its February 2021 coup, which ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

The coup triggered widespread protests, followed by a violent crackdown by security forces. This prompted the emergence of the People's Defence Force (PDF), the armed wing of the NUG, which subsequently formed alliances with ethnic armed organisations opposing military rule.

The military-backed government, which took office in April following controversial elections earlier this year, has intensified ground operations and airstrikes to regain territories controlled by resistance groups.

The NUG's special region command had previously said it controlled 12 PDF battalions, seven drones with specialised support units, and six combat and defence units. Its operations covered southern Kayin and Mon states, as well as the Bago region.

In a statement at the end of September, the NUG headquarters said an airstrike involving two fighter jets had hit its communications outpost, killing five members, including a former soldier who had defected from the military.