A Chin civilian resistance group fighting to overthrow the dictatorship has ambushed a regime convoy on the road from Matupi to Mindat 15 times in recent weeks, killing many soldiers, according to their own accounts.
Yaw Mang, spokesperson for Chin Defence Force (CDF) for Mindat, told Khonumthung News that he suspects at least 20 Burma Army (BA) soldiers from the 81-vehicle convoy and two armoured vehicles were killed and many more were injured in the landmine and firefight raids.
“After the military convoy reached Mindat, locals told us that 10 trucks were full of wounded BA soldiers,” says Yaw Mang.
The spokesperson said two CDF fighters were injured but no one was killed in the ambushes that began on 28 January, a few days after the convoy pulled out of Matupi.
It arrived in Mindat on 8 February, a distance of 104 miles.
Thirty vehicles from the convoy continued to Pakkok in Magwe Region last Thursday.
According to Yaw Mang, the CDF attacked the convoy at mileposts 70, 60, 56, 45e, 43, 38, 36, 32, 27, 19, 16 and 80, where Chin fighters killed at least 5 regime soldiers on 26 January.
Khonumthung News couldn’t independently confirm any of these deaths.
Since last fall, the junta has launched a major clearance campaign aimed at driving out the resistance fighters in Chin State and Sagaing Region.
CDF has proven to be a strong fighting force against the dictatorship, in spite of being vastly outnumbered and poorly armed.
However, the regime’s offensives have displaced tens of thousands of Chin civilians.