An influx of refugees from Myanmar was reported along the Indo-Myanmar border state of Mizoram after Myanmar’s military air force bombed Khawpuichip village, killing seven people, including six children, on Friday.
The bombing sparked panic among villagers in Myanmar, said an officer at Zokhothar police station in Mizoram. “After hearing that the village of Khaobuchep was being bombed, more than 50 refugees from Myanmar crossed into the Indian village of Zukhothar on Friday evening,” the officer said.
Jacob Zauma, spokesman for the Chinland Council civilian government in Myanmar’s Chin State, told HT that the number of villagers crossing to the Indian side could not be confirmed.
“We have unconfirmed reports that several villagers have crossed over to the Indian side, seeking refuge in Fangxia and Lianbui villages, about two kilometers from the international border,” he added.
Zuma said seven people were killed, including six children, and at least 15 to 20 buildings were destroyed.
“We received field reports that the Myanmar army deployed its air force and indiscriminately bombed several civilian sites in Khawpuichip on Thursday. Since there is no resistance forces camp in and around the village, we believe that the junta forces are trying to spread fear among villages in the area,” Zuma said.
A Chinland Council spokesman claimed that the motive behind the bombing could be linked to the Myanmar junta’s attempt to regain control of Chin State.
Read also:More than 2,000 refugees enter Mizoram as fighting intensifies in Myanmar: Police
Zuma added: “It was a possibility; they have raided Tiddim, Flam and Kalay over the past few weeks. We believe their ultimate goal is to seize Kalay Airport.”
Myanmar’s Chin State shares more than 500 kilometers of international border with India, and is witnessing constant and intense aerial bombardment by the Myanmar junta.
The Chin Human Rights Organization reported that the military often targeted non-military sites such as schools and religious sites in an attempt to demoralize the resistance and the general population of Chin State.
The ethnic resistance forces in Chin State maintain effective control over approximately 90% of the territory; Major cities such as Matupi, Lilinby, and Rejothar, a vital trading center on the Indo-Myanmar border, were liberated by Chin resistance forces. The Myanmar military junta uses air power to suppress the resistance movement in Chin State.
