Two killed as gunfire erupts during funeral for airstrike victims in Chin State

Two people were killed when gunfire erupted during a funeral ceremony in Kanpetlet Township, southern Chin State, on October 25, local residents said.The funeral was for victims of a junta airstrike carried out the previous day. The military launched two airstrikes on Kanpetlet, a town controlled by Chin resistance forces, on October 24 and 25, killing three people and injuring 10 others.On October 25, during the funeral for the airstrike victims, an intoxicated former member of the Chinland Defense Force (CDF) opened fire. The shooter killed a 16-year-old female student, and a 28-year-old man who worked as a volunteer teacher.The student died on the spot, while the teacher perished later after sustaining severe injuries from the shooting, according to a local resident.Another source with knowledge of the incident said the shooter was not a member of CDF Kanpetlet, having left the group in February. During the funeral, he reportedly grabbed a gun from a resistance member and started opening fire."He was intoxicated and positioned behind the crowd when he suddenly rushed out and grabbed the gun from a comrade,” the source told Myanmar Now. “After grabbing it, he pointed it upward and fired continuous shots. He kept pulling the trigger, and was so drunk he couldn't control himself." As he was firing into the air, his weapon started to lower. When the gun dropped, bullets struck people who were arriving at the event. The perpetrator was then arrested by resistance forces.Peter Than Shwe, a spokesperson for the CDF Kanpetlet, confirmed the shooting at the funeral, but added that he could not provide further details as ground officials had not fully verified the incident.Pro-junta Telegram channels claim that the bombing the day before targeted a CDF military chief held in Myoma ward 2 of Kanpetlet town. But Peter Than Shwe pointed out that the casualties occurred because the junta airstrike targeted a civilian residential area.Two middle-aged women and a man were killed in the airstrike, which also left more than 10 others injured, including children and the elderly. The next day, on October 25, the junta struck Kanpetlet’s fire station, damaging several buildings, but causing no casualties, according to local reports. Two people were killed in a shooting at a funeral in Kanpetlet Township, Chin State on October 25, 2025. (Photo: Supplied) Kanpetlet Township People's Administration Organization (PAO) issued a statement on October 26 urging people to dig bunkers to protect themselves from airstrikes. The statement also said to avoid holding large events that could amass crowds as the Myanmar military is known to target large gatherings. Rights groups say the Myanmar military does not distinguish between civilians and resistance forces.Chin State has seen persistent fighting since the 2021 coup, with local resistance groups and ethnic armed organisations challenging junta control through armed offensives. The conflict has displaced thousands and allowed resistance forces, including the Chin Brotherhood, to gain control over the majority of towns in the state. Haka, the state capital, still remains under military control. Although the junta has intensified military operations nationwide, it has not been able to recently launch ground offensives in Chin State. Despite a reduction in military clashes, the junta has used repeated airstrikes across the state to terrorise and control Chin populations, sources say. In mid October, junta airstrikes hit schools in Hakha and Mindat townships, killing five students and a civilian while injuring dozens of others. "They [junta] might be aerial bombing to disrupt our operations, or maybe they’re desperate because they're losing ground,” Peter Than Shwe said. “But attacking public buildings and people's homes are acts that should never be done.”

Two killed as gunfire erupts during funeral for airstrike victims in Chin State

An intoxicated ex-resistance member opened fire at a funeral in Kanpetlet Township, killing a teenage student and a teacher

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