Bangkok-

Myanmar’s Karen guerrillas claimed on Monday they were close to seizing control of a major trading town on the border with Thailand, while soldiers and civil servants loyal to the junta appeared ready to abandon their position.

The capture of Myawaddy town by the Karen National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Karen National Union, appears imminent as guerrillas capture or besiege strategic army outposts on the outskirts of the town, a spokesman and Karen National Union member said on Monday. .

Myawaddy in Karen state, Myanmar’s most active trading post with Thailand, has suffered a series of shocking defeats by Myanmar’s military since last October, when an alliance of three other ethnic rebel groups in the region Its fall would be the latest in an offensive in the area. Northeastern part of the country.

Over the past five months, the army has been routed in northern Shan state, where it controls several border crossings in western Rakhine state, and has come under increasing attacks elsewhere.

The junta under Senior General Min Aung Hlaing acknowledges the pressure and recently introduced conscription to boost military ranks.

Conflict across Myanmar began when the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and suppressed widespread non-violent protests seeking a return to democratic rule.

Three residents of the town of Myawaddy, who requested anonymity for fear of being arrested by the warring sides, told The Associated Press by phone that they had heard no sounds of fighting outside since Sunday afternoon. Most residents were working as usual, they said, while others were preparing to flee to Mae Sot across the Thai border. Two of them said they had not seen any members of the government security forces since Sunday.

The situation was highlighted Sunday evening when a Myanmar plane flew from Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, to Mae Sot. Thai media reported that the plane had received permission from Thai authorities to evacuate people fleeing Myawaddy. It was unclear whether the fugitives, described as soldiers and civil servants loyal to Myanmar’s military junta, had crossed the border river into Thailand.

Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Monday that it has approved the operation of three flights on the Yangon-Mae Sot route to transport passengers and cargo, with one flight daily from Sunday to Tuesday. The Myanmar government later canceled its request for the remaining two flights.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Thai government is paying close attention to the border situation and is prepared to take all necessary measures to maintain peace and order and ensure the safety of people in border areas.

Thailand often provides temporary shelter to Myanmar villagers in the event of fighting on the border. Some 87,000 people also live in nine long-term refugee camps.

The Karen National Union, the Karen’s main political body, said in a statement posted on Facebook that its armed faction and pro-democracy alliance forces seized a military base on Myawaddy Highway in Thin Gan Nyi Naung on Friday. It has served as the military’s regional headquarters for nearly sixty years.

It is said that 617 members of the security forces and their families have surrendered. The Karen National Union posted photos of weapons it said it had seized and captured, and military personnel and their families sheltering in a school.

Two Karen guerrillas involved in the group’s offensive told The Associated Press on Monday that they surrounded an army post responsible for security in the town about 4 kilometers (3 miles) west of Myawaddy, as well as an artillery battalion to the south. Negotiations to surrender are ongoing, they said. They requested anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

They also say the Karen control about 60 to 70 percent of Myawaddy town and will almost certainly take over the town after the two bases surrender or are captured.

The Karen, like other ethnic minorities living in border areas, have been fighting for greater autonomy from Myanmar’s central government for decades.

After the military seized power in 2021, fighting between the army and Karen armed groups intensified. After the military takeover, several ethnic rebel groups, including the Karen, formed a loose alliance with pro-democracy militias and provided refuge to civilians opposed to the military government.