Myanmar rebels are claiming their biggest victory yet over junta forces. Could it be a turning point in the brutal civil war? | CNN

Ethnic rebel army and allied resistance forces have mounted a renewed offensive to capture Lashio .

The strategic garrison town, the largest in Shan state, is the seat of the junta’s regional Northeastern Military Command .

Images published by local media in the past few weeks show a mass exodus from the town, with a long line of cars, trucks and bikes laden with belongings snaking through muddy , monsoon-lashed roads.

If confirmed, the capture of Lashio would be the biggest victory for the resistance since the coup and mark a turning point in the three-year civil war.

Thousands of civilians have been forced to flee across Shan state and neighboring Mandalay region.

Rebels have reportedly seized dozens of junta bases and several northern towns since a renewed offensive in late June .

Analysts say resistance forces now control many of the roads to Lashio and other key towns in the northeast .

Local community networks risking their lives to reach those in need.

The anti-coup resistance in Myanmar was once considered a loose grouping of ill-equipped fighters.

Recent successes, including the MNDAA ’s push into Lashio , have shown a new level of coordination and capability, analysts say.