12 September 2021
The Chinland Defense Forces (CDF) has released a statement on its official Facebook page that they have captured the Myanmar army base in Lungler village near the border with India, representing a morale-boosting action for anti-coup resistance fighters.
At least 12 Myanmar soldiers were reportedly killed and injured 8 CDF fighters. The CDF fighters also seized several weapons and ammunitions from the Myanmar armies and razed the military’s base to the ground.
The fighting began on Friday. But CDF withdrew on that day due to the counter airstrikes by the Myanmar military. The sources told Chindwin that Myanmar’s military conducted ariel attacks using fighter jets following the fighting between CDF and the Myanmar army on Friday.
Photos of fighter jet operating counter-attacks on Lungler village’s army base went viral and have been much of a talk in the Mizoram State of India. As a result of heavy bombardment, hundreds of ethnic Chin people living in the surrounding area are fleeing for their safety and taking shelter in Mizoram.
After the military coup in February, young anti-coup demonstrators in Chin State transformed themselves into CDF, fighting against the military junta for greater freedom and federal democracy. Locally formed in every township in Chin State, the CDFs received military training from the Chin National Army (CNA) cadres, an armed wing of Chin National Front (CNF).
CNF is the first ethnic armed organization that officially recognized the shadow government and formed an alliance with the parallel Unity government.
Anti-coup resistance has intensified after the shadow government, known as the National Unity Government (NUG), called for a nationwide revolt against the military coup on 7 September.
The recent armed clashes between CDFs and the Myanmar army across Chin State have internally displaced thousands of people, creating humanitarian crisis afresh.
