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Conflict Myanmar

Myanmar civil war

The military-backed government that took office in April is pushing ground offensives and frequent airstrikes, while the Arakan Army holds most of Rakhine and fights near Sittwe. Peace invitations from Naypyitaw have not halted the fighting.

Confidence: medium. The April 2026 change of government, continuing airstrikes and the broad map of fronts are reported consistently by UN agencies, wire services and regional media. Casualty tolls come from armed groups, aid workers, the opposition government or state media and often cannot be independently checked, and the military's territorial claims are unverified because it restricts journalists' access. · Updated 11 Nov 2026, 2pm ET

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Why it matters: More than 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar's Rakhine State, mostly to Bangladesh, after a 2017 military crackdown that is now the subject of a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. source

What's happening

Myanmar's military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in February 2021, and the crackdown on protests grew into a multi-front civil war. The army faces ethnic armed groups such as the Arakan Army, Kachin Independence Army and Karen National Union, plus People's Defence Force units loyal to the opposition National Unity Government. Monitors including ACLED put the death toll at about 100,000. After a phased election in December 2025 and January 2026 that barred major opposition parties, parliament made coup leader Min Aung Hlaing president in April. Since 2025 the army has retaken key roads and towns in Chin, Shan, Mandalay and Kachin areas, helped by China-brokered ceasefires on the northern border, according to Myanmar Now and Al Jazeera, and ACLED says its air campaign has intensified. The Arakan Army reportedly holds 14 of Rakhine's 17 townships. UN figures count over 4 million people displaced, while Malaysia and other neighbours, and the US through direct talks, are re-engaging the new government.

What changed recently

Key figures

4,054,900Internally displaced people in MyanmarUN in Myanmar, as shown on the UNHCR data portal · 2026-10-26 · source
at least 8,384Civilians killed by the military since the February 2021 coupUN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Kelley Anne Eckels-Currie · 2026-09-15 · source
14 of 17Rakhine townships held by the Arakan ArmyDVB reporting · 2026-10-10 · source

What experts say

Their views, summarized in our words.

Sources