After the junta’s airstrikes intensified in Kanpetlet Town in southern Chin State’s Kanpetlet Township, the resistance-controlled Kanpetlet Township People’s Administration issued guidelines urging residents to avoid large gatherings and construct bomb shelters.
Resistance officials said on October 26 that the public must take these guidelines seriously to reduce the risk of airstrikes, as the junta has been intensifying its indiscriminate attacks with unchecked brutality, making no distinction between resistance forces and civilians.
“On October 24 and 25, a series of airstrikes hit Kanpetlet, causing civilian casualties. So, people need to adjust to this new reality and start preparing. As airstrikes become more frequent, we should avoid large gatherings whenever possible. If they must be held, keep them as low-profile as possible. For now, we should refrain from organizing any festivities. The main goal of these guidelines is to protect everyone’s safety — and that requires everyone’s cooperation,” said a spokesperson for the Chinland Defence Force — Kanpetlet (CDF-Kanpetlet).
At around 9:30 am on October 24, two junta fighter jets bombed Myoma 2 Ward in Kanpetlet Town with 500-pound bombs. At 8:20 pm on October 25, the junta launched another airstrike on Kanpetlet Town.
The attacks killed 3 residents, injured at least 15 others, and destroyed 5 homes along with 3 other buildings.
After Chin resistance forces captured Kyatwee (Kyindwe) and Kanpetlet towns in Kanpetlet Township, the junta is attempting to reclaim the lost territories and is increasingly relying on airstrikes, the CDF-Kanpetlet spokesperson added.
In the October 24 airstrike, the junta targeted the wedding of Salai Aung Ling, commander-in-chief of CDF-Kanpetlet, injuring and killing several locals.
In October, the junta conducted multiple airstrikes across Kanpetlet, Mindat, Matupi, Hakha, and Tonzang townships in Chin State, killing and injuring civilians including children, and destroying numerous buildings.
The junta has also targeted schools in its airstrikes across Chin State, forcing some in high-risk areas to close.