At least 10 civilians were reported killed after Myanmar’s military carried out an airstrike on a village about 10km north of the Chin State town of Thanlang early Thursday morning.
The attack targeted the village of Khuafo, which is not under the control of resistance forces and has not seen any recent fighting, according to Salai Htet Ni, the spokesperson for the Chin National Army/Front (CNA/F).
“The junta’s aircraft dropped four bombs on Khuafo, killing at least 10 people,” he said, adding that complete casualty figures were not yet available and were expected to rise.
Details about the identities of the victims were also unavailable at the time of reporting. However, according to the Chin Journal, a local news outlet, four women and one child were among the dead. At least 20 others were also reported injured in the attack.
According to Salai Htet Ni, the town of Thantlang also came under attack by Mi-35 combat helicopters shortly after the assault on Khuafo.
The town, which is the administrative centre for the township, has been deserted since late 2021, when it became the target of a major junta offensive. However, it is currently occupied by the CNA/F and allied groups opposed to the regime.
In early February, the resistance forces overran Thantlang’s central police station, where junta troops were stationed, triggering daily air raids in an attempt to regain control of the town.
The CNA/F was a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement before the February 2021 coup, but has since allied itself with the Chinland Defence Force, a group formed in response to the military takeover, as well as with the shadow National Unity Government’s People’s Defence Force.
In January, regime forces carried out airstrikes on the CNA/F’s headquarters, known as Camp Victoria, near the India border, killing five members of the group.
On Monday, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing declared at a ceremony marking Armed Forces Day that his regime intended to intensify its efforts to crush groups opposed to its rule, including ethnic armed organisations such as the CNA/F that have sided with the resistance.
“We now know that what Min Aung Hlaing, the terrorist leader, said during the Armed Forces Day celebrations meant that they were going to target civilians, which is a war crime,” said Salai Htet Ni.
“That is why we need to fight back, no matter how bad it gets,” he added.
