By Garcia Ni / MPA
According to local sources, the State Administration Council (SAC) Army has conducted airstrikes on Mindat Town, located in southern Chin State, for four consecutive days.
A local resident of Mindat stated that SAC Army carried out these airstrikes targeting both the town itself and its surrounding areas from 17 to 20 September due to concerns that local resistance forces might launch an offensive to capture the town.
“On 17 September, bombs were dropped near the eastern part of town, close to the nursing home. On 18 September, two fighter jets bombed a section of the sub-township in the afternoon. On the morning and evening of 19 September, two jets bombed both the town and a nearby area. Then, early on the morning of September 20, three fighter jets bombed the town’s surroundings, dropping 500-pound bombs and smaller explosives. There were reports of damage to homes, but the exact extent is still unclear, and no reports of casualties have been heard,” the resident said.
Additionally, on 19 September, SAC Army used a Y-12 transport aircraft to drop weapons and supplies into no.274 Light Infantry Battalion located within the town after circling the area for about an hour.
There have been reports of minor clashes between SAC Army and local resistance forces in recent days. Despite MPA’s attempts to reach out to CDF (Mindat) for comment, no response has been received.
“Only a small number of civilians remain in Mindat town. Even villagers living near the town already fled. They have fled to cottages on their upland farms. Almost every house in the village has an underground bomb shelter,” said a member of the local resistance forces.
Furthermore, from 13 to 15 September , SAC Army set fire to 11 houses near no.274 Light Infantry Battalion in Mindat, destroying them to create a killing field.
On the evening of 12 September, artillery shells fired by no.274 Light Infantry Battalion hit the Sanpya ward of Mindat town, causing several houses to burn down, according to a local woman.
“Around 4 PM, artillery shells started firing. Houses in the Sanpya ward are on fire, likely due to the explosions caused by these shells. We can still see smoke rising from the area,” she told MPA.
After losing control of Matupi Town in late June 2024, SAC Army has been reinforcing Mindat since late August, using Y-12 transport aircraft to deliver weapons, ammunition, and supplies, in an effort to prevent the town from falling into the hands of resistance forces.
In addition to the airstrikes, locals have reported that no.274 Light Infantry Battalion frequently shells the surrounding areas and conducts drone bombings on nearby locations.
