Becomes Civil Resistance Guerrilla Base, 215 Military Regime Troops Killed In Chin . State

Myanmar military illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/KMK from Myanmar)

JAKARTA - At least 40 soldiers and police of the Myanmar military regime have been killed in the latest armed clashes with civil resistance fighters in Hakha and Falam, Chin State.

Most of the casualties fell when the Chinland Defense Forces (CDF) Hakha branch attacked the Bonzum Police Station on Tuesday morning, following a five-hour gun battle between the CDF and the Myanmar army and police. One CDF fighter was injured in the clashes, the group added.

"The attack is a response to illegal logging by local police in the area, its support of the military dictatorship and its threats to the general public," a CDF spokesman quoted Myanmar Now as saying Thursday July 1.

"The situation is calm now. But last night they took the bodies of their dead and picked up their injured personnel," the spokesman added, adding that around 40 soldiers and police in two trucks were deployed to the area after the clashes.

Separately, the CDF also exchanged fire with the Myanmar military regime forces for two hours in Falam. The local CDf said about 20 regime military troops were killed and injured many others.

"Four CDF members were killed and three others injured," the CDF's Falam branch said in a statement.

After heavy fighting in Mindat, the regime reached a ceasefire agreement with CDF fighters there on 23 June. Tens of thousands of people have taken refuge in townships amid fighting last month.

According to the CDF, Myanmar's military suffered heavy casualties at the hands of local residents, who are familiar with the country's mountainous regions and trained in shooting hunting rifles.

"The current situation in Hakha is that the death toll on the part of the military council has risen to 56 since May 2. And, 215 members of the junta troops have been killed across Chin State." explained the spokesman for the group.

"From the CDF side, if the number of victims in Falam is increased, a total of 35 CDF members have died," the spokesman continued. Myanmar Now could not independently confirm the casualty toll from the fighting in Chin State.

He added that fighting was likely to continue and urged the public to be vigilant, avoiding sharing unfounded news on social media.

To note, Chin State has become one of the bastions of guerrilla resistance against the Myanmar military regime. Civilians have also taken up arms to attack regime targets in Kanpetlet, Thantlang and Tedim.

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