Overview

• An entire Myanmar army battalion, consisting of 127 soldiers and 134 family members, surrendered to the Three Brotherhood Alliance, an ethnic resistance group.
• The surrender is the largest by regular army forces since the military coup in February 2021.
• The Three Brotherhood Alliance, which launched a surprise offensive last month, has claimed widespread victories and expects to soon capture Laukkaing, a major city in the area.
• The Alliance plans to crack down on major organized criminal enterprises, including cyberscam operations controlled by Chinese investors, in Laukkaing.
• Since the offensive began last month, more than 200 soldiers and police have surrendered to the alliance groups in various regions.