By Garcia Ni / MPA
According to the local news sources, the State Administration Council (SAC)’s troops in Gangaw city are preparing defenses and launching artillery strikes on nearby villages.
A person closely related to no.50 light infantry battalion told MPA that after the transfer of the new operation commander of no.50 light infantry battalion last July, SAC’s troops in Gangaw are preparing defenses, patrolling around Gangaw city at night and firing artillery on nearby villages.
“Currently, they are preparing everything. Communication trenches, trench lines and placed mines all around. Each family of soldiers has to sharpen 500 bamboo spikes a day. And those bamboo spikes are also placed. Everywhere becomes minefields, even the railway,” he said.
Moreover, according to the source, the new operation commander ordered families of soldiers to cook one viss of rice for each family member and make dry the cooked rice as well as he ordered to move some families outside of the base.
Furthermore, according to local resistance forces and civilians, starting from 7 August 2024, no.50 light infantry battalion in Gangaw is firing artillery shells on the villages located the the west and north of Gangaw city daily and there are casualties of civilians and damaged houses.
“Artillery strike on 7 August caused 5 civilians from Saiduu village to be injured. But it was not life threatening. I heard some houses were destroyed. And artillery strikes on these days caused damages to some houses in Lonehaw village,” in-charge of southern Gangaw People Defense Team told MPA.
Starting from 20 July, SAC’s army restricted the trucks to go to northern Gangaw township and Chin state, so resistance forces also restricted trucks to go to the Gangaw city from the south.
But SAC’s army in Gangaw allowed the logistic flow to north Gangaw township and Chin state starting from 31 July, so People Defense Team (Pa Ka Pha) allowed in 1 August, but again SAC restricted again so resistance forces also restricted starting from 2 August again.
“We still can commute in Gangaw city. Inspections are the same as before. Most important thing is we can’t carry oils, salt, fish pastes and other goods outside of the city. But, goods didn’t flow into the city either. Shopkeepers have to carry them from other routes,” a local woman from Saiduu village said.
According to the locals, at night of 11 august , a Y-12 military transport aircraft hovered over the Gangaw city dropped packages that can be assumed as ammunition and food supplies into the no.50 light infantry battalion.
