In a statement, the office of Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said government troops had defeated what it described as “terrorist insurgent groups” along the route connecting Mandalay with Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state located near China’s border.

The military said operations to secure the corridor lasted more than 15 months and involved 322 engagements ranging from small clashes to major battles.“The operations lasted for over one year and three months,” the statement said, adding that the bodies of 138 rebel fighters had been recovered.

The military acknowledged casualties among its own troops but did not provide figures.Myanmar has remained engulfed in conflict since the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a February 2021 coup, triggering nationwide resistance from pro-democracy militias and ethnic armed organizations.

A coordinated rebel offensive launched in late 2023 had initially pushed military forces back across large areas of northern Myanmar and threatened territory closer to Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city and a key commercial center.

Analysts have said some ethnic armed groups operating near the Chinese border previously benefited from tacit Chinese support aimed at preserving Beijing’s influence in the frontier region. However, China later pressed several rebel factions into ceasefire arrangements amid concerns that escalating instability could disrupt cross-border trade and investment.

In recent months, two of the three ethnic minority armies that spearheaded the offensive agreed to China-mediated truces, leaving allied pro-democracy fighters increasingly isolated and under pressure from military counteroffensives.

The recapture claim comes as Myanmar’s military-backed administration seeks to project greater political stability following elections earlier this year that delivered victory to parties aligned with the junta.Last month, coup leader Min Aung Hlaing formally assumed the presidency in a transition that democracy groups and international observers criticized as an attempt to legitimize continued military rule.

The government has also intensified efforts to deepen economic ties with China, including reviving stalled infrastructure and energy projects linked to Beijing’s regional investment strategy.The military said the reopening of the Mandalay-Myitkyina corridor would improve regional commerce and facilitate smoother trade flows with China.

Thousands of troops are set to march in the capital Naypyidaw, where Min Aung Hlaing is expected to deliver a speech aimed at reinforcing morale within the armed forces, which have been engaged in a protracted civil conflict since the 2021 coup.

State media reported that “leadership changes” would follow the ceremony, quoting deputy commander-in-chief Soe Win as saying adjustments were imminent within the military hierarchy.

Under Myanmar’s constitution, Min Aung Hlaing would need to relinquish his military role to formally become president. He currently serves as acting president, and a permanent transition would coincide with a parliamentary process expected to begin next week.

Min Aung Hlaing has ruled since overthrowing the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, detaining the Nobel laureate, dissolving her party, and triggering a nationwide conflict involving pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed groups.

Recent elections, which handed pro-military parties a decisive victory, have been criticized by democracy monitors as tightly controlled and excluding opposition participation.

Despite ongoing violence, the military has regained some ground over the past year, aided in part by China-brokered ceasefires with key ethnic armed groups. Agreements involving regions such as Lashio and parts of Mandalay have helped the junta stabilize certain fronts after earlier setbacks.

However, fighting remains widespread in many areas, with analysts noting the conflict is highly fragmented. According to monitoring group ACLED, more than 90,000 people have been killed since the coup, while the United Nations estimates over 3.7 million have been displaced and roughly half the population lives in poverty.

The Armed Forces Day ceremony, once a large-scale display of strength, has diminished in scale in recent years as the military contends with battlefield losses and internal strain.