Chin resistance forces seize town near Myanmar-India border

The Chin National Army (CNA) said it captured Cikha, a small town near the Myanmar-India border in northern Chin State’s Tonzang Township, on Sunday. The group said it had been fighting regime forces in the area since the second week of May and was continuing its effort to seize control of the township’s administrative centre. “We have completely captured the Cikha camp. There are no longer any [junta] troops in Cikha,” said CNA spokesperson Salai Htet Ni. He added that Chin resistance forces had already captured the police station and an army camp in Tonzang, some 50 miles to the south of Cikha, but were still fighting regime soldiers in the town. To prevent Tonzang from falling into the hands of the CNA, the Myanmar military has carried out multiple airstrikes on the town, including nine on Sunday alone, said Salai Htet Ni. According to the anti-regime Tonzang Township People’s Administration Team (PAT), the airstrikes continued on Monday. Located in a mountainous area on the road to India, Tonzang is a town of around 800 households, while Cikha has about 200. The Zomi Revolutionary Army, an ethnic armed group allied with the regime, has been fighting alongside junta troops in Tonzang, according to resistance sources. Two Chin resistance fighters were killed and six others were injured in the recent fighting, while two junta policemen were taken prisoner, the sources added. A sign marks the entrance to Cikha in northern Chin State’s Tonzang Township (J Trave) More than 8,000 civilians from Tonzang, Cikha, and nearby villages have been displaced by the clashes and airstrikes, according to the Tonzang Township PAT. While many residents of Cikha have fled towards the Indian border, those living in Tonzang have sought refuge in unaffected villages in the area or in Kalay, a town in Sagaing Region some 80 miles to the south. “Shelter, medicine, and food are the three things that are really needed,” an information officer of the Tonzang Township PAT told Myanmar Now. He added that while there has been extensive damage to property in the area, no civilian casualties have been reported. “No civilians were harmed, but people’s houses are quite damaged. In Tonzang, some houses have been burnt to ashes,” said the information officer. Resistance forces have captured a number of towns in Chin State, including Rihkhawdar, Lalengpi, Rezua, and Kyin Dway, while several others that have been abandoned by the junta, such as M’kuiimnu, Hnaring, Webula, and Surkhua, are also in their control. In the southern part of the state, the Arakan Army (AA)—recently renamed the Arakha Army—has been in control of Paletwa Township since the beginning of the year. Late last year, the AA and its allies launched a major offensive against the regime in northern Shan State, capturing many key towns on the Chinese border and along important trade routes. Resistance forces have also taken control of sections of the border with India, both in Chin State and Sagaing Region. Despite the regime’s weakening hold over the border, it continues to maintain close relations with the Indian government. Advocacy group Justice For Myanmar has called on India to stop providing the junta with fuel, weapons, military technology, and training.

Chin resistance forces seize town near Myanmar-India border

The Chin National Army says it will continue with its push for control of Tonzang after capturing the town of Cikha on Sunday

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