Adam Castillo, a security consultant and former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, was detained upon returning to the country on Thursday, the police source said.

He is being held in connection with a lawsuit filed by the current director of a business organization he previously headed, the source said, adding that he faces allegations of breach of trust related to property matters, which carry a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years under Myanmar law.

A court on Friday ordered Castillo remanded in custody for two weeks while investigations continue, the source said.

A second source confirmed the detention but provided no additional details.

The US State Department said it was aware of reports regarding the detention of a US citizen in Myanmar but declined to comment further, citing privacy considerations.

Castillo recently published a memoir documenting his experience working in Myanmar during and after the 2021 military coup, which toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and triggered widespread unrest and civil conflict.

Myanmar has remained under military-dominated rule since the coup, despite a political transition process that international observers have described as tightly controlled and largely excluding opposition groups.

The case comes amid ongoing tensions between Myanmar’s military authorities and parts of the international business and diplomatic community that scaled back operations following the coup.

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.

Goita’s televised address came after West Africa’s Al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and a Tuareg-led separatist alliance launched attacks on Mali’s main army base and the area near Bamako’s airport on Saturday, while also forcing Russian-backed government forces out of the strategic northern town of Kidal.

The offensive marked one of the most significant coordinated assaults against Mali’s military government in recent years, raising concerns over a broader territorial shift in the country’s vast northern desert and the growing operational reach of armed groups active across the Sahel.Mali’s Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed in the attacks, dealing a major blow to the ruling junta.

Goita had not been seen publicly until Tuesday afternoon, when his office released photographs of him meeting Russian Ambassador Igor Gromyko at the presidential palace in Bamako.

According to a statement from Goita’s office, the two discussed “the current situation and the strong partnership between Bamako and Moscow,” while Gromyko reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to supporting Mali in its fight against what the government described as international terrorism.

Goita also visited a hospital treating those wounded in the attacks and offered condolences to Camara’s family before addressing the nation on state television.“The situation is under control,” Goita said, adding that military operations would continue until the “complete neutralization of the groups involved.”

The scale of Saturday’s attacks demonstrated an unusual level of coordination between insurgent factions with differing political and ideological objectives, highlighting the mounting pressure on Mali’s armed forces despite years of military cooperation with Russian security partners.

In a video message circulated on Tuesday, JNIM spokesperson Bina Diarra described the attacks as retaliation for drone strikes and other operations carried out by Malian forces and threatened to impose a siege on Bamako.“As of today, Bamako is closed off from all sides,” he said.JNIM had previously imposed a fuel blockade on the capital last year, though restrictions had eased before the latest attacks.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that insurgents were regrouping after Russian forces helped repel what it described as a coup attempt, preventing militants from capturing key state facilities including the presidential palace.“The enemy has not abandoned its aggressive intentions and is currently regrouping,” the ministry said, adding that Russian forces were conducting reconnaissance operations to destroy insurgent camps and were prepared to repel further attacks.

Moscow’s response is being closely watched as Russia seeks to expand its security role across Africa while its military remains heavily engaged in Ukraine.Mali deepened military ties with Russia after expelling French troops and United Nations peacekeepers following coups in 2020 and 2021.

In the northeast, fighters linked to Islamic State in the Sahel Province (ISSP) entered the town of Menaka near the Niger border, according to five sources cited by Reuters, including residents, security analysts and an official from the Azawad Liberation Front.

The sources said ISSP fighters established checkpoints in parts of the town while Malian troops withdrew to a nearby military camp. No direct clashes were reported, and residents said civilians continued moving through the city despite the presence of militants.

ISSP did not participate in Saturday’s coordinated attacks and has long been a rival of JNIM. Since clashes between the two groups began in 2019, they have fought hundreds of battles that have killed more than 2,100 people, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project.

Mali’s ruling military junta said its forces were battling what it described as “terrorist groups” that launched surprise dawn assaults on military positions around Bamako and in several regional cities, while authorities insisted the situation was under control.

Helicopters circled over the capital and around Bamako’s international airport as fighting was reported near the Kati military base, a strategic garrison town where junta leader General Assimi Goïta resides.

JNIM, an armed group linked to Al-Qaeda, said the attacks were carried out jointly with the FLA, a coalition of Tuareg separatist rebels active in northern Mali.“Together, we are carrying out a veritable transformation, in the service of religion, of the country and of the people,” the group said in a statement.

JNIM claimed its fighters targeted the residences of Goïta and Defense Minister General Sadio Camara, as well as Bamako international airport and other military installations.Witnesses reported intense clashes in Kati and other urban centers, while online footage showed armed militants moving through streets in contested areas.

The FLA separately said it had seized control of Kidal, a key northern city long regarded as a symbolic stronghold of Tuareg separatist movements.“Our FLA troops control Kidal, most of Kidal,” FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane told AFP, adding that the regional governor had taken refuge at the former camp of the United Nations peacekeeping mission MINUSMA.

The Malian army said “terrorist groups” had attacked “certain points and barracks in the capital and the interior” early Saturday, but later stated that 16 civilians and soldiers were injured and that only limited material damage had been recorded.“The situation is fully under control in all the localities targeted,” the junta said.

Analysts said the scale and coordination of the attacks marked a serious escalation.“We’re looking at a major coordinated offensive across the country on a level unseen since 2012 when the government lost half the country,” said Charlie Werb of Aldebaran Threat Consultants.

Fighting was also reported in Gao and Kidal in the north and in the central city of Sevare, highlighting the geographic spread of the offensive.Russia’s Foreign Ministry said around 250 fighters had attacked Bamako airport and a nearby military base, adding that the assault had been repelled.“The Russian side expresses deep concern over the unfolding events,” the ministry said on Telegram.

Russian military support has become central to Mali’s security strategy since the junta severed defense ties with former colonial power France and strengthened cooperation with Moscow. Russia’s Africa Corps, operating under the Russian defense ministry, replaced the Wagner mercenary group in supporting Malian forces.

Since 2012, Mali has faced a prolonged insurgency involving jihadist groups, criminal networks and separatist movements. The military leadership, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, justified its takeover partly on promises to restore security, but attacks have continued across the country.

Thousands have been killed and tens of thousands displaced by the violence, with many fleeing to neighboring states.African Union Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf condemned the attacks, warning that the renewed violence risked exposing civilians to significant harm.

The whereabouts of Goïta were not immediately clear, while speculation also surrounded Camara after residents reported that a powerful explosion had heavily damaged his residence in Kati. His entourage later said he was safe.

The streets of Bamako remained largely deserted into the evening as security forces maintained a heavy presence and sporadic gunfire continued in parts of the city.

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.