A powerful rebel group, the Kachin Independence Army, has captured the key trading town of Kanpaiti in northeastern Myanmar on the Chinese border, seizing a lucrative rare earth mining hub from the military-led government. The loss of Kanpaiti leaves the military with control of only one border town, Muse, and deprives them of profits from rare earth minerals vital for various industries. The ongoing civil war, intensified by the military coup in February 2021, has led to a series of defeats for the military, with the KIA gaining ground in Kachin state and causing government troops to flee into China.
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