(MENAFN) After months of intense fighting, insurgents took control of the town of Kyaukme, a critical location on the major trade route linking Myanmar to China.

Situated along Asian Highway 14, famously known as the Burma Road during World War II, Kyaukme's capture by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in 2023 was considered a significant triumph for the opposition.

This victory raised hopes that the morale of Myanmar’s military junta, which had seized power in a coup in 2021, might be deteriorating.

However, the situation shifted dramatically this month when the military swiftly recaptured Kyaukme in just three weeks.

The rapid reversal of fortune in this small hill town highlights the changing dynamics of the conflict, with the military's power increasingly tipping in favor of the junta.

The town has suffered immense destruction during its period under the control of the TNLA. Myanmar's military conducted relentless airstrikes, flattening large areas of Kyaukme.

Jets dropped 500-pound bombs, while artillery and drones targeted insurgent positions on the outskirts. Many residents fled the violence, although some are beginning to return now that the military has regained control.

"There is heavy fighting going on every day, in Kyaukme and Hsipaw," said Tar Parn La, a spokesperson for the TNLA, in an interview with BBC earlier this month.

"This year the military has more soldiers, more heavy weapons, and more air power. We are trying our best to defend Hsipaw."

The intense military presence and use of advanced weaponry underscore the growing challenges faced by opposition forces in Myanmar.

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