Anti-junta forces say they now control most of southern Chin State

Chin resistance forces say they captured two towns over the weekend, giving them full control over southern Chin State as fighting continues in the north. According to a statement released by the Chin Brotherhood Alliance on Sunday, the coalition of ethnic Chin forces seized the town of Kanpetlet earlier in the day after junta forces stationed there withdrew without a fight the night before. “The enemy soldiers abandoned the town on December 21 as our troops were preparing to launch attacks. We are currently pursuing them,” a spokesperson for the alliance told Myanmar Now on Sunday. The Chin Brothers also announced that they captured the Infantry Battalion (IB) 274 base near Mindat on Saturday, completing their takeover of the town about a 44-mile drive north of Kanpetlet. The base, located less than two miles west of Mindat, was the last junta holdout in the area after the rest of the town fell to anti-regime forces earlier this month. In their statement, the Chin Brothers also thanked the Arakan Army (AA), an allied ethnic armed group that has seized control of most of neighbouring Rakhine State, as well as Paletwa Township in southern Chin State, for its military support. At least 15 political prisoners being held in Mindat and Kanpetlet have been rescued and released by the resistance forces, according to the statement. Videos posted online by the Chinland Defence Force-Mindat on Monday showed members of the group raising a flag representing Chin State at the IB 274 base, and also removing a portrait of junta chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing. According to the group and its allies, at least 160 junta troops from IB 274 were taken prisoner, and large caches of weapons and ammunition were also seized from the base. Weapons and ammunition seized from the IB 274 base near Mindat (CDF-Mindat) The complete capture of Kanpetlet and Mindat represents a vital step towards the liberation of Chin State from the ruling military, and was welcomed by local residents. However, concerns remain. “We are overwhelmed with joy as we look forward to returning home. Many others feel the same. Finally, we can feel the sense of freedom. But the threat of junta airstrikes makes it too dangerous to go back at the moment,” said a resident of Mindat Township. According to local sources, junta warplanes carried out a series of retaliatory airstrikes over residential areas of both towns late Sunday. Local resistance authorities have also urged caution, saying that the situation remains too dangerous for civilians to return to their homes. “We still need to clear landmines and take other safety measures,” a representative of Mindat Township’s People Administrative Team told Myanmar Now on Monday. “We will make further announcements when the town is ready for people to return,” he added. Meanwhile, fighting continues in the north of the state near the capital Hakha and the towns of Thantlang, Tedim and Falam, anti-regime forces said. The Chin Brotherhood Alliance has been fighting for control of Falam, about 40 miles north of Hakha, for more than a month. On November 12, some 45 police officers stationed there surrendered to the ethnic Chin forces. Currently, the alliance controls Falam’s police stations, hospital, and general administration office, and is trying to take the junta’s IB 268 base in the southwestern part of the town. To defend the position, the regime has reportedly responded with frequent airstrikes and shelling from Kalay in neighbouring Sagaing Region. West of Hakha, Chin forces led by the Chin National Army (CNA)—which is not part of the Chin Brotherhood Alliance—have taken control of the road to Thantlang, bringing the conflict closer to the capital, which is also the junta’s main stronghold in the state. The CNA, the state’s oldest ethnic army, has also captured a number of towns, including Rihkawdar, Lailenpi, Rezua, Cikha, and Tonzang, since late last year. In addition to controlling Mindat and Kanpetlet, the Chin Brotherhood Alliance is also the dominant force in Matupi Township, where it captured the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 304 base in June. Matupi is located northeast of AA-controlled Paletwa. The AA helped the Chin Brothers seize Kyindwe, a strategic town in Kanpetlet Township, in April.

Anti-junta forces say they now control most of southern Chin State

The Chin Brotherhood Alliance says its forces took Kanpetlet without a fight and also seized the last regime base in Mindat over the weekend

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