27 Myanmar Junta Soldiers Killed in Chin State Clashes
By The Irrawaddy 11 June 2021
Around 27 junta soldiers, including an army captain, were killed by civilian resistance fighters during clashes in Chin State on Thursday. The shootouts took place in Hakha and Thantlang townships and resulted in over 1,000 villagers fleeing their homes.
At about 3pm on Thursday, fighters from the Chinland Defense Force ambushed 70 regime troops patrolling the Hakha- Gangaw Highway, some 30 miles south of Hakha, the Chin State capital.
During 30 minutes of fighting, junta forces used explosives against the civilian resistance fighters. Around ten junta soldiers were killed and at least five others wounded in the firefight, according to the Chinland Defense Force spokesperson.
Earlier on Thursday morning, a group of 26 military regime soldiers clashed with the Chinland Defense Force in Thantlang Township, 18 miles to the north of Thantlang town. Around 17 junta troops, including an army captain, were killed, while no resistance casualties were reported, according to a statement from the Chinland Defense Force – Thantlang.
More than 100 junta reinforcements continued fighting with the civilian resistance fighters until Friday, causing more than 1,000 residents from four nearby villages to flee their homes, the spokesperson for the Chinland Defense Force told the Irrawaddy on Friday.
In Hakha, more than 80 residents have been detained for staging anti-regime protests and having anti-regime protest photos or activities on their cell phones and social media accounts. Junta security forces in Hakha are inspecting people entering the town, as well as checking the cell phones of local residents.
On Thursday, the Chinland Defense Force warned that it will carry on conducting intense defensive actions against junta troops across Chin State until the 80 detained Hakha residents are released.
“No matter how many more soldiers the junta uses against us, we will keep resisting them,” the spokesperson of the Chinland Defense Force told the Irrawaddy.
Since early May, shootouts between civilian resistance fighters and regime forces have been reported in over half of Chin State. Clashes have occurred in six of Chin State’s nine townships: Kanpetlet, Mindat, Hakha, Thantlang, Falam and Tedim.
Over 100 regime soldiers have reportedly been killed, while the civilian resistance fighters have suffered more than 24 casualties.
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