The Kokang ethnic armed group, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), has seized full control of Kutkai Town in northern Shan State and reopened the Muse-Lashio Highway.
On the morning of March 16, Kutkai Town came entirely under MNDAA control, after which the group reopened the Union Highway linking junta-held Lashio City and Muse Town on the Chinese border.
“The Muse-Lashio Road is now open to traffic. Kokang troops are letting both large trucks and passenger vehicles pass, only requiring valid tax receipts for access,” said a driver traveling on the highway.
Former allies, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the MNDAA, had previously shared control of Kutkai. Tensions between the two groups escalated in recent weeks, and on the morning of March 14, the MNDAA launched attacks on TNLA positions in Mongsi, Namhpatkar, Loisamhsit, and Manpying villages in Kutkai Township. By the evening of March 15, the MNDAA had captured the hill-based tactical operations command center, gaining effective control of the entire township.
During the brief two-day clash, 18 TNLA fighters were injured and 100 were taken captive. The MNDAA's wounded troops are reportedly receiving treatment at a hospital in Theinni (Hsenwi).
“Kokang troops have now fully taken over Kutkai Town. Some TNLA fighters surrendered, others were captured, and the rest fled. The TNLA’s Palaung soldiers have scattered. Around 18 TNLA members were injured in the fighting, though it’s unclear if there were any deaths. In total, roughly 100 TNLA fighters were captured alive,” a local military analyst told Shan Herald.
Shan Herald reached out to TNLA spokesperson Lway Yay Oo to verify reports that TNLA forces had withdrawn from Kutkai Town and that around 100 fighters had been captured by the MNDAA, but has not received a response.
On March 15, amid intense fighting, a drone strike hit Hokyant Village in Kutkai Township, killing a woman, residents reported.
On March 16, the Spring Revolution Alliance (SRA) issued a statement urging restraint, warning that the ongoing conflict between former allies TNLA and MNDAA—both of whom had fought against the coup junta—could impact the broader revolutionary movement.
The SRA, which joined forces with the MNDAA and TNLA during Operation 1027 to inflict major setbacks on the junta, has called on both groups to resolve their current dispute through dialogue rather than fighting.
