Myanmar military recaptures 2 strategic border towns from ethnic militias

Key points

• Myanmar’s military-backed government says it has regained control of two towns near the country’s borders with India and Thailand, marking a significant advance in the civil war as it seeks to reassert control of regions long held by resistance forces.
• A report in the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper on Thursday (May 21, 2026) said Tonzang, near the border with India, was captured by the army on Wednesday (May 20, 2026) after 10 days of operations to retake it.
• The paper published photos of soldiers who recaptured the town in front of the township’s administrative office and other departments.
• That report came a day after Myanma Alinn reported that the army on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) retook control of Mawtaung, a strategically important border town for trade with Thailand, after a two-week operation.
• The Army’s recapture of Tonzang in northwestern Chin state and Mawtaung in the southern Tanintharyi region comes as...