An alliance of ethnic rebel groups in Myanmar has launched coordinated attacks on the military across the country’s north, with local media reporting many casualties.

Friday’s development poses a new challenge to the generals who seized power from the elected government in February 2021 and have struggled to quell resistance to its rule.

Pro-military Telegram channels said the rebels were attacking 12 towns or settlements across a swathe of Shan state about 100km (62 miles) across.

Dpa said about 20 soldiers were killed as one of the armed groups seized control of the customs office in Chinshwehaw on Friday morning.

“The alliance seized the customs office in Chinshwehaw this morning and the junta forces were killed,” a local man from Lashio, who requested anonymity, told dpa. “There was also fighting in Lashio since the early morning, but we have not had any big news here.”

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The three rebel groups – which analysts say can call on at least 15,000 fighters between them – did not immediately provide details on casualties or whether they had taken territory, AFP news agency reported.

But German news agency dpa said they had targeted various posts in towns such as Lashio, Kyaukme, Naungcho, Chinshwehaw, and Laukkaing, which are under the control of the military.

The Brotherhood Alliance – made up of Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) – launched a “military operation”, it said in a statement on Friday.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/27/ethnic-rebel-alliance-attacks-military-positions-across-northern-myanmar