Junta troops torched almost the entire Yinke village located in Saw Township on the border between Magway Region and Chin State. After suffering casualties in fighting with the PDF group, the Military Council used incendiary bombs to set Yinke village ablaze. Out of approximately 350 houses in the village, over 300 of them were tragically reduced to ashes.
20 villagers who returned to investigate the situation were also arrested by these troops and taken to an army outpost in Laungshay village.
According to locals and Chinland Defence Force of Kanpetlet (CDF-Kanpetlet) officials, soldiers arrested and forcefully abducted around 20 civilians on July 15th. "After Yinke village was destroyed, some courageous villagers gathered to inspect the damage to their homes. About 20 villagers were arrested. The soldiers then took these villagers to their military base in Laungshay. The Military Council has now deployed hidden spies within the village”, a CDF Kanpetlet member told Khonumthung News.
Following an intense clash with the local People's Defense Force (PDF) at approximately 4:00 am on July 15th, the troops of the Military Council halted their vehicles and entered the village around 8:00 am once the fighting had ceased.
Fierce clashes broke out when the PDF unit intercepted a convoy of the Military Council that was delivering reinforcements of food and weapons to Kanpetlet and Kyindway Townships in Chin State.
"Yesterday morning, as the conflict erupted, a child sustained injuries from shelling conducted by the Military Council. Consequently, Yinke village was engulfed in flames due to the shelling. Subsequently, the soldiers intentionally entered the village and engaged in systematic arson. The fighting persisted throughout the entire day”, an official from Khonum Battalion of CDF-Kanpetlet said.
“We heard that a vehicle of the Military Council was destroyed in the fighting, and injured soldiers were transported to Laungshay to receive treatment. But the specific information regarding the enemy's casualties is not known yet”, he added. There were no injuries on the PDF side.
CDF and PDF factions from Yaw Township united their efforts to launch an attack on the Military Council column.
The Military Council column heading towards Kyindway is estimated to consist of approximately 300 personnel, which includes 2 armored fighting vehicles, a JCB machine, and around 20 military vehicles.
At present, there are indications that the Military Council may divide into two separate columns, each comprising hundreds of forces, with the intention to launch an offensive and potentially conduct air raids. In response, local PDF has issued a warning to the local population, urging them to remain vigilant.
