A major general and two brigadier generals from the Northeastern Command in Lashio are reportedly being interrogated by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA)
The MNDAA sources reported the capture of former base commander Major General Soe Tint, regional chief Brigadier General Thant Htin Soe and Military Operations Command 1 chief Brigadier General Myo Min Htwe on Saturday.
Junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun admitted on Monday that the regime had lost contact with its northern Shan State headquarters.
“Preliminary reports indicate that some of these senior officers were captured by terrorist insurgents,” he said.
An army defector calling himself Captain Seagull said that the detained officers are being questioned about their involvement in war crimes and video of them is expected to be released soon.
Some officers were captured while trying to escape in civilian clothes, he added.
Sources said Soe Tint was found in military custody within the command headquarters in Lashio.
In mid-July, the regime replaced him with Brigadier General Soe Hlaing amid defeats around Lashio. Soe Hlaing has reportedly escaped to Muse.
Myo Min Htwe was previously the Triangle Region commander before reportedly being transferred to Lashio in August 2022.
The NE Command deputy, Brigadier General Tin Tun Aung, who oversaw the defense of the city with Thant Htin Soe, was killed by in a rocket attack on the hilltop base near Lashio.
A military analyst said the fall of Lashio marks the first capture of a major command headquarters since independence and the seizure of its leaders is a significant blow to military morale. The remaining 13 regional commands will be questioning the junta’s leadership abilities, the analyst said.
The MNDAA is a member of the Brotherhood Alliance, which launched Operation 1027 on October 27 last year before it was halted by a China-brokered ceasefire on January 10. The armed group resumed its offensive on July 3 in Lashio Township.
The MNDAA and its allies still have not completely secured the city.
