The Chin Brotherhood told DVB on Tuesday that Chin resistance forces had seized Falam Township, the second-largest town in Chinland, after seizing the remaining regime outpost concluding a five-month-long battle. Falam is located 68 miles (109 km) north of the state capital Hakha.
“We seized many weapons, recovered [regime] soldiers’ bodies, and captured several alive,” a Chin Brotherhood spokesperson told DVB. In a post on social media, the Chin Brotherhood thanked the Arakan Army (AA) for its continued support and claimed that over 1,000 retaliatory airstrikes have been carried out by the Myanmar Air Force in Falam since the offensive began in November.
At least 15 resistance groups, allied to the Chin Brotherhood and the AA, assisted in the fighting for control of Falam. The Chin Brotherhood stated that it captured the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 268, the remaining regime outpost in Falam, on Monday.
It claimed that 100 regime troops were stationed inside LIB 268. The Chin Brotherhood acknowledged that there were casualties but didn’t disclose any specific number. The regime doesn’t share the number of its troops killed in battle with resistance forces.
“The seizure of Falam is important [because it is] located on the Kalay-Falam-Hakha highway, and holds significant military importance,” the Chin Brotherhood spokesperson told DVB.
The Chin resistance could disrupt the regime’s overland routes to send reinforcements into Kalay, Sagaing Region, located 49 miles (78 km) east of Falam. It lies near a key highway junction connecting Sagaing to Chinland and has long served as a vital staging point for military operations.
Kalay hosts one of the military’s Regional Operations Commands (ROC). It is situated 144 miles (231 km) northwest of the Sagaing Region capital Monywa, home to the Northwestern Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters.
In December, the Chin Brotherhood seized Kanpetlet and Mindat townships in southern Chinland, along with AA assistance. The AA seized control of Paletwa Township in southern Chinland in January 2024.
The seizure of Falam comes during a fragile ceasefire period declared in the aftermath of the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28.
In response, both the regime and several ethnic armed groups, including the AA, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) – known collectively as the Brotherhood Alliance – as well as the National Unity Government (NUG), along with its People’s Defense Force (PDF), declared temporary ceasefires this month to allow earthquake relief to be unhindered.
The Chin Brotherhood emerged as the armed faction of the Interim Chin National Consultative Council (ICNCC), which is supported by the National Unity Government (NUG), in December 2023.
The other faction of the Chin resistance is the Chinland Council, which was established by the Chin National Front/Army (CNF/CNA) and elected members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
Chinland Council forces, led by the CNA, launched Operation Jericho in October to take control of Hakha and Thantlang, 80 miles (130 km) south of Falam, which are under regime control. Tedim, located 49 miles (78 km) north of Falam, also remains under regime control.
Fourteen townships in Chinland have been seized by the resistance, including the Myanmar-India border town of Rihkhawdar. Chin Brotherhood spokesperson Salai Yaw Man claimed in December that resistance forces controlled over 80 percent of Chinland.
