Myanmar rebels on verge of seizing key border town near Thailand

The Karen National Union announced that 617 individuals have surrendered at the Thingannyinaung outpost in Myawaddy Township, Karen State. 

This includes 410 soldiers and 81 relatives.

In a statement posted to its social media channels, the KNU reported that 477 military personnel surrendered in Thanganyinaung, in addition to 140 family members. 

It accompanied the statement with photos of the large cache of weapons that it claimed to have seized in the attack, reports the Diplomat.

While the final negotiated surrender of the garrison in Myawaddy proper has not yet been confirmed, it may just be a matter of time. The Myanmar junta has reportedly requested that Thailand allow government officials, military personnel, and civil servants to cross into Thailand via the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, which connects Myawaddy to the Thai town of Mae Sot.

Earlier on April 4, Myanmar's main pro-democracy resistance group said on Thursday its armed wing launched drone attacks on the airport and a military headquarters in the capital, Naypyitaw, but the country's ruling military said it destroyed the drones as they attacked.

The opposition National Unity Government's “Defence Ministry” said in a statement that special units of the People's Defence Force used drones to attack the targets simultaneously.

The airport compound, which includes both a military air base and a civilian airport, is about 25 kilometres (16 miles) southwest of the military headquarters that the resistance group said it attacked.