Fighting in Myanmar near the border with Thailand is getting tense

Myanmar's military government is struggling to contain an insurgency by armed groups on multiple fronts, suffering a series of defeats in border areas.

Al Jazeera reported that today (April 11), about 200 soldiers withdrew to the bridge connecting the border town of Myawaddy with Thailand, after a days-long attack by rebel forces.

The withdrawal is a sign of growing pressure on the generals who seized power in a February 2021 coup, sparking an uprising against their rule.

In a statement on Facebook, the Karen National Union (KNU), the ethnic armed group leading the attack on Myawaddy (a Thai border town connected to the rest of Myanmar), said its forces had defeated Battalion 275, the remaining major military force in the town, in the early hours of this morning.

Saw Taw Nee, a KNU spokesman, told Reuters that about 200 soldiers had gathered at the bridge, while Myanmar's Khit Thi news agency reported that Thai authorities were negotiating with the soldiers to decide whether to grant them asylum.

Television footage from the Thai side of the border showed thick black smoke billowing into the air.

Intense fighting is taking place between the Myanmar military and rebel forces in the border area between Thailand and Myanmar (Photo: AP)

Myanmar's generals have come under increasing pressure since an October 2023 attack by a powerful alliance of ethnic armed groups energized the opposition and led to major clashes across the country.

The Myanmar military has lost control of hundreds of military posts and several towns in the border area.

About 600 Myanmar soldiers and their families fled Myawaddy over the weekend amid reports that the military had asked Thailand to grant them asylum in the country for their safety.

At least 2,000 people have been displaced in Myanmar due to the latest escalation of conflict, according to civil society group Karen Peace Support Network.

Since taking power in a 2021 coup, the Myanmar military has suffered a series of defeats against rebel alliances and militia movements.

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