Guwahati: Myanmar’s junta carried out a series of airstrikes Saturday morning in Thantlang Township, Chin State on its mission to bomb insurgents of the Chinland Defence Forces (CDF), ThePrint has learnt.
Fighter jets dropped multiple bombs close to Sopum and Tlangpi villages on Vanzang Hill, located on the road to the Chin National Front (CNF) headquarters of Camp Victoria in Thantlang Township, sources in India and Myanmar said. Sopum is about 30 km from Camp Victoria, while Tlangpi is located 13 km from the camp.
The fighter jets did not cross into Indian air space, defence sources confirmed.
A bomb was also targeted at Camp Victoria which reportedly exploded in a forest near the camp, the sources said.
Camp Victoria, the headquarters of the Chin National Army (CNA), the armed wing of the CNF, was bombed by the Myanmar Air Force in January. It is about 10km from Mizoram’s Farkawn village along the Tiau river that forms part of the international boundary between India and Myanmar.
Myanmar junta carried out a series of airstrikes on Thantlang town this morning. A bomb was also dropped on Camp Victoria, the Headquarters of Chin National Front, which exploded in a forest near the camp, a CNA fighter told The Chin Journal. pic.twitter.com/uITnley0GG
— The Chin Journal (@thechinjournal) February 25, 2023
The Chin Journal reported intense fighting Saturday between Myanmar junta troops and Chin resistance forces (local ethnic armed groups) in Thantlang town. There have been casualties both sides, the Chin Journal quoted sources.
Sources also told ThePrint the attacks resulted in two casualties from CNA/CDF Thantlang.
The western state of Chin State, Thantlang has been the epicentre of the military regime’s offensives against civilians and resistance groups. The CNF/CNA had signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with U. Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian government in October 2015.
Attacks in Thantlang were also reported on the night of 21 February, said sources in Chin State. On 10 February, CNA and CDF occupied the State Administration Council’s (SAC) police station located in Thangtlang town. Four junta soldiers were reportedly killed, and six arrested. A large cache of weapons was also recovered, the Chindwin Agency reported.
The Chindwin Agency reported two junta soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion 269 in Thantlang town defecting Monday (20 February) to the CDF Hakha in Chin state. They reportedly joined with weapons and ammunition. It quoted CDF Hakha stating that the defected soldiers were given 3 million Kyats each and sent to a safe zone.
According to the non-governmental organisation Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a total of 3,030 people including pro-democracy activists and other civilians, have been killed through military crackdowns (till 24 February, 2023). At least 19,866 people have been arrested, 16,005 are currently under detention including those serving sentences while 3,837 have been released.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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