MYAWADDY, Myanmar: Myanmar junta troops stationed in the embattled border town of Myawaddy have withdrawn from their positions, according to a spokesman for the Karen National Union (KNU) and a Thai official.
Padoh Saw Taw Nee, the KNU spokesman, confirmed that around 200 soldiers from Myanmar military battalion 275 withdrew to a bridge connecting Myawaddy with Mae Sot, Thailand, at 10 pm local time on Wednesday night.
A Thai border official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that Myawaddy “had fallen” on Wednesday night.
Reporters have been unable to independently verify the KNU’s claim due to restricted access to Myawaddy.
The town of Myawaddy, a crucial trade hub on the Myanmar-Thailand border, witnessed days of fighting, prompting hundreds of people to queue for entry into Thailand, expressing fear over the clashes.
On Thursday morning, a plane flew over the border in Myanmar, followed by a thudding sound heard by news agency reporters.
Residents reported that fighting ceased around 8 pm on Wednesday night, though they stated that the KNU had not yet entered the town.
Myawaddy is essential for Myanmar’s cash-strapped junta, with an estimated $1.1 billion worth of trade passing through in the past 12 months.
Thai authorities are prepared to accept up to 100,000 displaced individuals from Myanmar and are reinforcing immigration checkpoints due to the increased number of arrivals.
