Myanmar’s urban assassins: The fighters hunted by the military

“From the moment I was arrested, I considered myself a dead man,” Arkar said.

The electrician from central Myanmar was part of an underground assassin squad that targeted security personnel and infrastructure tied to the military government in their city strongholds. Once detained, he knew his military captors would show little mercy.

“Arkar”, who asked to use a pseudonym to protect his identity, said he endured weeks of torture in secret detention centres before being sentenced to three years at Insein Prison, Myanmar’s most notorious jail.

But unlike many captured urban guerrillas, Arkar survived.

Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit has analysed leaked military documents, secret recordings and rare insider testimonies to expose how military leaders are struggling to defend Myanmar’s larg