Myanmar junta captures key town, expanding election writ

More than 130,000 people are living displaced in the state of Kayah, where Demoso sits on the crossroads of two highways branching off from the main route linking Naypyidaw and the commercial capital Yangon. - AFP

YANGON: Myanmar's junta said Wednesday (Aug 20) its troops have captured a battlefield town in the country's east, clawing back rebel-contested territory as it prepares to stage a disputed December election.

Demoso -- 105km (65 miles) east of the capital Naypyidaw -- has witnessed intense combat since 2021, when the military deposed the democratic government and sparked a civil war.