A major ethnic rebel group in Myanmar on Wednesday announced a ceasefire with the military after China-mediated talks, bringing a pause to months of intense clashes in the northeast near the Chinese border.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said the truce was signed during talks held Monday and Tuesday in Kunming, a Chinese provincial capital about 400 kilometers from the Myanmar border. The announcement was made via a statement on the Telegram messaging platform.

The ceasefire is seen as a strategic gain for Myanmar’s military government, which has regained control over key territories ahead of elections scheduled to begin Dec. 28. Critics argue the polls, which exclude main opposition parties, aim to legitimize and consolidate military rule.

As part of the agreement, the TNLA will withdraw its troops from Mogok, a ruby-mining hub in Mandalay region, and Momeik in northern Shan state, although no specific timeline was given. In return, the military pledged to halt ground offensives and airstrikes on the group’s remaining areas.

The rebels had earlier lost control of three strategic towns – Nawnghkio, Kyaukme, and Hsipaw – on a major highway linking central Myanmar to China, following a heavy military offensive.

The TNLA is a member of the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which also includes the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army. The alliance has fought for decades for greater autonomy from the central government and maintains loose ties with pro-democracy resistance groups that emerged after the military takeover in February 2021.

Since October 2023, the alliance captured large areas in northeastern and western Myanmar near the Chinese border. Their advance slowed after previous China-brokered ceasefires, allowing the army to retake key towns, including Lashio in April and Nawnghkio in July, followed by Kyaukme and Hsipaw in October.

Beijing, which has significant economic and strategic interests in Myanmar, has expressed concern over instability along its borders and played a key role in brokering the latest truce.