The regime’s armed forces burnt down nearly 100 houses, including a school, in Nat Chaung where they were staying after suffering heavy losses fighting with various Chin resistance groups in southern Kalay Township.
People Defence Forces, Chinland Defence Force and Chin National Defence Force killed 35 BA soldiers in raids on their convoy in several villages while they were travelling between Yan Gyi Aung and Nat Chaung in Sagaing Region.
A man, who requested anonymity, told Khonumthung News that the BA soldiers started setting fire to houses near Nat Chaung’s market after they arrived to spend the night and continued the next day.
“So far we can confirm that BA soldiers burnt down 89 houses in our village.”
Many of the villagers had already fled into the jungle before the BA column arrived. Some thought they’d be safe in the Buddhist monasteries, but this wasn’t the case. The man said that when they entered the village, the soldiers shot in the air and ordered all the residents of the monasteries to hand over their mobile phones, threatening to kill them if they didn’t. Over 200 mobile phones were confiscated.
It was the third time regime forces have razed houses in Nat Chaung, which is just 15 miles from Kalay town. Of the 2,000 houses in the village, the army destroyed over 250, most recently in December.
The Chin resistance groups attacked the convoy of 20 vehicles carrying 150 soldiers, equipment and supplies with landmines near Pan Moong Chaung Bridge, killing at least 6 BA soldiers the next day. Two CNDF soldiers were injured in the attack, one of them seriously.
The groups attacked the column again between Kalin village and Kalay Technical University, this time killing 10 of their soldiers. They killed 14 BA soldiers with 41 landmines between Si Tha and Kyar Inn and between Chin Hsai and Zin Kalin.
The PDF warned civilians not to travel to the area during the fighting.
According to locals, a shell hit near the Methodist Church in Tar Han ward of Kalay town on Thursday.
On the same day, clashes broke out between the PDF and the regime between Pyi Taw Tha and Mai Nwet in northern Kalay Township, and the BA shelled the area with artillery.