Myanmar military troops, families surrender to anti-junta forces at army’s northeastern command centre

Injured soldiers were among the scores of junta troops that surrendered to anti-junta fighters at a vital military command centre in Lashio, northern Shan State on Friday, according to video footage and sources close to the anti-junta forces. More than 200 junta troops and their family members surrendered after the command centre—the Myanmar army’s Northeastern Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters came under attack by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) or Kokang army and its allies, who captured most of the city this week. “Junta troops and their family members on the premises of the Northeastern RMC turned themselves over to the MNDAA this morning,” said Captain Zin Yaw, a former army officer who defected to the anti-junta resistance. After attacking the command centre, fighters led by the MNDAA—also known as the Kokang army—reportedly captured the junta-operated No. 9 military hospital on the command headquarters’ grounds, sources close to the group said. According to anti-junta forces, the surrendering junta troops—which included injured troops as well as their families—had been staying in the No. 9 Military Hospital. A video uploaded on social media showed MNDAA fighters escorting what appeared to be a group of junta soldiers in plain clothes and their family members to another location. The footage showed that there were injured soldiers in green hospital gowns, women, and children in the group. Posts on pro-junta propaganda channels on Telegram claimed on Thursday that anti-junta fighters led by the Kokang army had attacked the hospital on the command centre’s premises, killing patients as well as doctors and other medical staff, and abducting other patients. https://youtu.be/9nE-u3iJGQo?feature=shared While the veracity of these claims is unconfirmed, the MNDAA’s reasons for escorting patients and their families out of the hospital remain unclear. Clashes continued at the RMC headquarters in Lashio on Friday morning after the MNDAA overran a junta defensive position on the command centre’s grounds at around 8pm on Thursday. The Kokang army was able to penetrate the command centre compound this week after attacking a junta army unit guarding Lashio’s airport on Tuesday. The Kokang army has taken control of at least seven residential wards in Lashio, since entering the city on July 22.

Myanmar military troops, families surrender to anti-junta forces at army’s northeastern command centre

A video clip posted on social media showed Kokang anti-junta fighters escorting a group that included injured junta soldiers in hospital gowns, women, and children outdoors in Lashio

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