Eight regime soldiers killed in clashes in Hakha, say Chin resistance fighters 

Resistance fighters in Chin State’s capital of Hakha say they have killed eight of the coup regime’s soldiers in clashes that started on Sunday.

The Chinland Defense Force (CDF), a group formed in the wake of the coup to fight back on behalf of civilians being attacked by the military, said it killed four soldiers on Sunday night and four more on Monday night.

The group formed in early April with ethnically Chin people from nine townships in Chin State as well as from areas outside the state.

It launched an attack on Sunday after it issued a statement warning the military to release 60 locals who had been detained and the military failed to do so, the group said. 

“They threatened the lives of those who joined CDM,” a CDF spokesperson in Hakha told Myanmar Now. “They interrogate civilians. They beat them. They make them do frog jumps and leave them under the hot sun.” 

“Those helping the military junta are also informing on people who are participating in the resistance movement,” he added. “The informers also make death threats to people. We are fighting against them so that they will stop doing all these things.” 

The first four soldiers died during fighting at a checkpoint near a military outpost. 

Then on Monday night at 11pm CDF fighters ambushed another checkpoint at the No. 6 traffic junction, killing the other four and injuring another 10 soldiers.

“The battle lasted for about half an hour,” the spokesperson said. “We attacked them when they didn’t expect us so they didn’t dare to shoot us back.” 

There were no deaths on the CDF side in either clash, the group said. 

Myanmar Now is unable to verify the group’s claim. The military’s spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

The CDF said it killed about 30 Myanmar military soldiers–and suffered no casualties itself–during four days of fighting in Mindat late last month.

On Monday afternoon, eight military trucks travelling to Chin State along the Tilin-Gangaw road were attacked with home-made mines. 

Local residents believe the trucks came from Kalay and were heading towards Hakha.