Myanmar’s junta conducted airstrikes in Chin State on Thursday, in retaliation for losing a regime police station in Thantlang Town on Wednesday night to a combined force of ethnic Chin resistance groups.
The Chin National Army (CNA), the armed wing of the Chin National Front (CNF), and the Chinland Defense Force raided and occupied the police station in the mountaintop town on Wednesday night, the CNF’s spokesperson Salai Htet Ni told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.
Around 40 military regime soldiers and police were stationed at the police station.
After four hours of fighting, the resistance groups managed to capture the police station in Thantlang. Four dead regime troops were found, while many other soldiers and police fled after abandoning their weapons, according to the CNF’s spokesperson.
Over 40 weapons, including anti-drone guns, and ammunition were seized.
A CNA officer was killed in the clash, while another resistance fighter suffered injuries.
In response to the raid, the military regime used five fighter jets to bomb the area around Thantlang Town on Thursday morning, said Salai Htet Ni. No casualties from the airstrikes have been reported.
Junta reinforcements in three vehicles have also been sent to Thantlang from the Chin State capital Hakha.
On February 3, CNA and CDF fighters used drones to bomb the junta base in Thantlang.
Four days earlier, six regime forces were captured in Thantlang along with weapons and ammunition, when a combined force of resistance groups raided junta forces stationed at the town’s CB Bank, according to local Chin media.
In the face of strong resistance across Chin State, the regime imposed martial law on February 2 in all but one of Chin State’s nine townships. Paletwa is the only township not to be under martial law.
Late last year, the CNF claimed that 70 per cent of Chin State is now controlled by the resistance, with just towns and some major roads still under regime control.
