Chin resistance forces capture Myanmar army camp near Falam

A coalition of Chin resistance forces seized control of a strategically important Myanmar army camp in Chin State’s Falam Township on Tuesday, according to one of the groups involved in the operation. The hill-top camp, located in Khuangli, a village on the western bank of the Manipur River about five miles north of the resistance-held town of Falam, fell after the launch of a surprise attack earlier in the day, a spokesperson for the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) told Myanmar Now. “The camp was a forward position for junta troops advancing towards Falam,” the spokesperson said, explaining why it was targeted. Falam, located some 40 miles north of the state capital Hakha, was captured by the Chin Brotherhood in April of last year after five months of fighting. The Chin Brotherhood—of which the CNDF is a member—is an alliance of Chin armed groups formed since the military coup in February 2021. The Chinland Council, led by the long-established Chin National Front and its armed wing, the Chin National Army, also took part in Tuesday’s operation. According to the CNDF spokesperson, one fighter from the CNDF and three from the Chinland Council were killed in the fighting. The Chin forces were also able to seize weapons—including 24 MA-series rifles and hand grenades—and ammunition, as well as Starlink internet equipment, the spokesperson added. Two junta columns, each with around 100 troops, have been advancing on Falam from Sagaing Region’s Kalay Township since October of last year. Although the Chin Brotherhood and the Chinland Council are regarded as rival groups, they have joined forces in resisting the military’s efforts to retake Falam. “There is an airfield in Falam. If the military takes the town, they could use it to bring in equipment by air. That’s why the Chinland Council is helping us. If the military captures Falam, we will both suffer,” said the CNDF spokesperson. “On the ground, though, we fight side by side, and our lower-level units are coordinating well now,” he added. Currently, daily clashes are occurring between the military and Chin resistance forces in Falam Township and neighbouring Tedim Township. Of the nine townships in Chin State, the military currently holds Hakha, Thantlang, and Tedim; the Chin Brotherhood controls Matupi, Mindat, Kanpetlet, and Falam; its ally, the Arakan Army, holds Paletwa; and the Chinland Council controls Tonzang. More than 100,000 people have been displaced by conflict in Chin State since the military seized power five years ago, according to a report released by the United Nations’ refugee agency UNHCR in December 2025.

Chin resistance forces capture Myanmar army camp near Falam

The camp served as a forward position for junta troops pushing to retake the resistance-held town of Falam

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