Myanmar regional military HQ captured, rebels say, in blow to junta

(Reuters) - A rebel army in Myanmar said on Thursday it had seized control of a major regional military headquarters near the border with China, in what could be the biggest recent defeat for a ruling junta that is battling to contain a widening revolt.

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) said it had taken the strategic city of Lashio in northern Shan State, about 120 km (75 miles) from the Chinese border, after 23 days of fighting with government troops.

"Our army has won a decisive victory and is now clearing out the remaining enemy troops. The city is now declared completely liberated," it said in a statement shared by its mouthpiece on social media, urging the public to remain calm and comply with its administration of the city.

Reuters could not independently verify the group's claim and a spokesperson for Myanmar's junta did not respond to calls seeking comment.

The MNDAA is among several ethnic minority rebel groups fighting to repel the military from what they consider their territories, in a loose alliance with an armed resistance movement that has waged a nationwide campaign to undermine the junta's rule.

The conflict has morphed into a civil war that represents one of the biggest challenges to Myanmar's well-equipped military in its combined five decades of rule. More than 2.6 million people are displaced, according to the United Nations.

The military, which seized back power in 2021 after a decade of tentative democracy, has been stretched by fighting on multiple fronts across the country of 53 million people, hampering its ability to govern and manage a crippled economy.

The junta has described its opponents as "terrorists" seeking to destabilise the country.

The MNDAA launched its latest offensive after the recent collapse of a ceasefire brokered by China, which has been concerned about fighting at its border and its impact on trade.

China's foreign ministry on Thursday urged all sides to cease hostilities, enter into dialogue and ensure Chinese businesses and nationals were unharmed.

"We will continue to encourage peace and push for talks," spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular briefing.

Online news outlet Myanmar Now quoted the commander of another armed group fighting alongside the MNDAA as confirming the capture of the regional command headquarters at Lashio.

According to an analysis earlier this year by the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, the junta has no effective control of Myanmar, having lost authority over townships covering 86% of the country and two-thirds of the population.

(Reporting by Reuters Staff; Additional reporting by Eduardo Baptista and Joe Cash in Beijing; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Bernadette Baum)