The Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), an ethnic armed group aligned with Myanmar’s military, clashed with anti-junta forces in Chin State’s Tonzang Township late last week, resulting in at least five deaths and the destruction of a village, according to sources.
The fighting began on April 3, when the ZRA launched attacks on positions held by the Chin National Army (CNA) and its ally the Chinland Defence Force-Tonzang (CDF-Tonzang) in the villages of Mualkawi and Nazan, resistance sources and locals said.
The next day, the group targeted the town of Tonzang before being forced to retreat after suffering multiple casualties, according to Thang Suan Mung, a spokesperson for the CDF-Tonzang.
Four members of the CDF-Tonzang and one CNA fighter were killed in the attacks, and five others were injured, he said, adding that the ZRA forces also set fire to Nazan as they withdrew from the area, completely destroying the village.
According to a resident of the village who hid in a church during the attack, ZRA troops forced an an elderly man out of his home before burning it down.
The ZRA is an ethnic Zomi armed group based along the Myanmar-India border. Formed in 1993, it has a history of conflict with Chin resistance forces in the largely Zomi-populated townships of Tonzang and Tedim.
Although it initially opposed the 2021 coup, the group later aligned with the junta and carried out attacks on Chin resistance forces. Since 2005, it has been part of India’s border security framework and is based in Manipur.
While the town of Tonzang is currently administered by the CDF-Tonzang, which has formed a local council and arrested alleged ZRA supporters, the recent violence underscores the volatile situation.
In a statement, the ZRA claimed their operations aimed to protect Zomi communities from “unprovoked provocations” by groups with “foreign agendas.”
They also denied any intention to harm civilians or destroy villages. Regarding Nazan, they attributed the destruction to “unintended consequences” of combat, not a deliberate act, and condemned using civilian areas for military purposes.
An official with a Chin civil society organisation strongly condemned the infighting and the alleged arson, stating that any group claiming to be revolutionary must not harm the people.
The majority of Chin State remains under the control of various Chin resistance groups, with Paletwa Township in the south held by the Arakan Army.
