Dhaka, July 18 -- Myanmar's junta claimed on Thursday to have ousted armed rebels who captured a town near the military's main officer training academy after a year-long battle.
A 2021 coup sparked a civil war in Myanmar, pitching the military against a myriad of pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic armed groups which have long held sway in the nation's fringes.
The northeastern town of Nawnghkio was seized by opposition fighters last summer, after some of the disparate groups organized a combined offensive which secured a string of victories against the military.
Nawnghkio is only about 40 kilometres - roughly an hour drive - from Pyin Oo Lwin, the town that hosts the country's main military officer school.
Its capture was a major victo...