According to official media on Wednesday, the Burmese military has regained control of a strategic town in eastern Kayah State from opposition armed forces after nearly two years.
As the military retook Dohsaw, also known as Karenni, in Kayah State, it has intensified ground and air attacks in recent months to reclaim areas under the control of the resistance movement before the elections scheduled for December 28.
Dohsaw is located about 110 kilometers (70 miles) east of the capital Naypyidaw, and has been a focal point of the Myanmar civil war since the military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in February 2021.
Since a joint offensive by the Karen National Defence Force (KNDF) and allied resistance forces from Kayah against the state's military bases in November 2023, the town has been under the control of the Karen National Defence Force (KNDF) and allied resistance forces from Kayah.
A state-run newspaper reported on Wednesday that Dohsaw near Loikaw, the capital of the state, was captured by the military after a 16-day operation on Monday.
The report said six corpses and five weapons were seized, and added that some security personnel were also killed. The newspaper published photos of soldiers retaking the town in front of hospitals, fire departments, and city halls.
KNDF (Karen National Defence Force) and other local resistance organizations did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday, the KNDF (Karen National Defence Force) accused the military of illegally arresting civilians, deliberately shooting them without cause, and using civilians as human shields during the attack on Dohsaw.
Kayah is the smallest of seven states in Myanmar, dominated by the Karen ethnic minority, and has experienced intense conflict.
A provisional government composed of Kayah resistance groups, including the KNDF (Karen National Defence Force), stated on Monday that at least 80 civilians died, five were injured, and several went missing after the military bombed a hospital in Mawchi, about 32 kilometers (50 miles) south of Dohsaw on Sunday.
According to independent Myanmar network media, in another incident, an airstrike occurred in Mogok, a center of gemstone mining in Southeast Asia, on Thursday, killing at least 21 people.
The military did not mention the attacks, usually stating that it only targets legitimate war objectives and accuses the resistance forces of being terrorists.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841011196989440/
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