Anti-coup fighters retreat from town

Fighters of a local militia opposed to Myanmar’s junta have pulled back from the northwestern town of Mindat, close to the Indian border, after days of assault by combat troops backed by artillery, a member of the group said on Sunday. The US and Britain called on the army to avoid civilian casualties and a shadow National Unity Government formed by loyalists of Myanmar’s detained elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, appealed for international help. “To avoid confrontation, we retreated out of concern over damage to the town,” said a fighter.