Ethnic Karen guerrillas in Myanmar leave a town that army lost 2 weeks ago as rival group holds sway

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Guerrilla fighters from the main ethnic Karen fighting force battling Myanmar’s military government have withdrawn from the eastern border town of Myawaddy two weeks after forcing the army to give up its defense. Residents and members the group said Wednesday that the withdrawal came after a contending armed Karen group which has occupied the town and claimed responsibility for its security provided assistance to army soldiers who had fled to a riverside spot there for safety. The Karen guerrillas are also preparing to defend against an expected counterattack by the military government. The complicated maneuvering is the latest development in the nationwide conflict in Myanmar that began after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.