The Mindat Chinland Defense Force (CDF) has recommended that local residents dig more bunkers in anticipation of further attacks by the State Administration Council (SAC) in southern Chin State.
“Typically, SAC launches more airstrikes and artillery attacks during the dry season, and we have received information that they plan to do so in Mindat Township,” explained a CDF officer.
He emphasized that many civilians have already fallen victim to such attacks, and the best defense is for everyone to have bunkers near their homes.
After some residents ignored a warning issued by the CDF and the People’s Administration for Mindat Township to take these precautions, these groups have released additional warnings in the hope that more people will take the necessary steps to protect themselves and their families.
Foot patrols are no longer practical for the SAC due to frequent ambushes by the resistance. Consequently, the officer mentioned that the military regime has become reliant on airstrikes, often deploying jet fighters and firing artillery shells at villages where civilians are present.
Last week, an artillery strike resulted in the deaths of several villagers’ animals and damaged homes, compelling some, including elderly individuals and students, to seek shelter from the shelling. On October 2, an 11-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman were wounded by an artillery shell.
The officer noted that the SAC frequently targets villages immediately after the resistance attacks their camps, underscoring the need for people to exercise caution and have bunkers on their properties to protect themselves against such attacks, which have already caused significant civilian casualties.
According to the Institute of Chin Affairs, 52 people have been killed, and 51 others wounded by Burma army airstrikes in Chin State during over two and a half years of military rule.
Many religious buildings, houses, schools, medical facilities, and rice storage units have been destroyed by these bombardments.