Myanmar’s army-controlled government announced it has seized two border towns from opposition forces, representing major victories in the nation’s continuing civil conflict as military leaders work to regain territory previously controlled by resistance groups.
State-controlled Myanma Alinn newspaper reported Thursday that government forces took Tonzang, located near the Indian border, on Wednesday following a 10-day military campaign. The publication included photographs showing troops at the town’s government buildings and administrative facilities.
This announcement followed Wednesday’s report in the same newspaper stating that military forces had regained Mawtaung on Tuesday, a border town crucial for commerce with Thailand, after conducting operations for two weeks.
The military’s success in capturing Tonzang in Chin state’s northwest and Mawtaung in the Tanintharyi region’s south occurs as government forces have gained momentum in the nationwide struggle since mid-2025, following China-mediated truces and expanded military personnel through conscription efforts.
These developments follow Min Aung Hlaing’s call one month ago for new peace negotiations with the nation’s armed opposition organizations. Min Aung Hlaing leads the military-controlled government.
Both Chin and Tanintharyi regions have experienced severe fighting since military leaders overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically chosen administration in 2021. When peaceful protests were violently suppressed, numerous military opponents armed themselves, plunging large portions of the nation into civil warfare.
Tonzang, positioned approximately 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the Indian frontier, had remained under allied Chin ethnic militia and local opposition control since May 2024.
Mawtaung, located roughly 630 kilometers (390 miles) southeast of Yangon, the nation’s most populous city, was controlled by the Karen National Union alongside other local opposition organizations.
Following over 207 military confrontations, 24 bodies from the KNU and allied forces were found and their weapons seized, according to newspaper accounts, which noted that some government security personnel also died.
The KNU and additional local opposition groups have not yet provided responses to comment requests.
Media limitations make independent verification of the town recaptures nearly impossible, although the military’s assertions remain unchallenged.
