At least eight civilians, including three children, were killed and 15 others were injured during a Myanmar Air Force airstrike on Mindat Township in southern Chin State on Sunday.
The aerial attack destroyed an unknown number of homes in the township, located 120 miles (193 km) south of the state capital Hakha.
Civilian casualties and structural destruction
- Child Fatalities: Local residents confirmed that the victims included two primary school students and a Grade 9 student.
- Systemic Civilian Targeting: In an Aug. 30 statement, the Chin People’s Army (CPA) reported that regime air strikes have repeatedly bombarded non-military targets across southern Chin State, including residential homes, schools, medical clinics, and places of worship.
The airstrike comes amid an ongoing military counteroffensive launched in mid-May across Mindat, Kanpetlet, and Matupi townships.
It added that airstrikes have targeted civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, medical clinics, and religious buildings across southern Chin.
Shift in control across Chin State
Despite resistance control in the south, regime forces have mounted counterattacks in northern and central Chin State, reclaiming several townships earlier this year:
| Regional Zone | Township Control Status | Recent Military Development |
| Regime Control (4 Townships) | Hakha, Falam, Tonzang, Thantlang | Regime forces recaptured Falam (April), Tonzang (May), and Thantlang (July 17). |
| Chin Resistance (4 Townships) | Mindat, Kanpetlet, Matupi, Tedim | Administered primarily by the Chin Brotherhood and allied resistance factions. |
| Arakan Army (1 Township) | Paletwa | Captured by the Arakan Army (AA) in January 2024, serving as a primary supply route from India. |
