An ethnic armed group in western Myanmar claims to have captured a major regional army headquarters

Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — A powerful ethnic armed group in western Myanmar is claiming to have scored a major victory in the war against the ruling military, even as neighboring nations at a meeting in Thailand were discussing efforts to end the conflict peacefully. The capture by the Arakan Army of a strategically important regional army headquarters in Rakhine State would put it a step closer to seizing control of the entire state, a goal not achieved by any of the several other rebel groups in other parts of Myanmar. Pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic minority armed forces have been battling the military, who took power in 2021 after ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.