Myanmar junta deploys fleet of jet fighters and Y-12 bomber to pound resistance-held Matupi

Mizzima

In a major escalation of its air campaign over southern Chin State, the military junta launched a massive, coordinated aerial assault on the town of Matupi on 26 May. The strike force utilized a fleet of seven jet fighters and a Y-12 transport aircraft reconfigured as bombers.

The heavy aerial bombardment commenced around 10:00 am, according to local aviation monitors and ground sources. The multi-wave raid involved jet fighters scrambled from three major airbases across central Myanmar: three from Tada-U (Mandalay), two from Magway, and two from Ela (Naypyidaw).

“The bombing this morning was quite intense. They targeted the areas where the military used to be stationed. However, no casualties have been reported so far,” a Matupi resident told Mizzima.

Mizzima is still attempting to contact officials from the Chin People’s Union, which currently controls Matupi, regarding the ongoing situation in the region.

Matupi had previously been hit by junta airstrikes on 19 May, during which the blast caused the death of a four-day-old newborn baby, while also damaging a sports center near the golf course and Basic Education High School No. 2.

According to information released by the Chin People’s Union, the military junta conducted up to 36 airstrikes in Mindat, Matupi, and Kanpetlet townships in southern Chin State between 11 and 22 May.

Numerous people were injured, and houses, shops, and government buildings were destroyed in those attacks, though the Chin People’s Union has not yet released specific details on the extent of the damage.

An official from the Chin People’s Union said, “Recently, they have launched military columns toward Kanpetlet and are aggressively attacking via air. They are doing this just before their fake election government has taken power; this is their inherent nature, which they have been practicing all along.”

The official added that comrades are resisting the junta’s offensive to the best of their ability, and emphasized that the public must also fulfill their respective duties in resisting these cruel and unjust acts.

According to military sources, fierce clashes have been taking place since 17 May, accompanied by continuous airstrikes, as junta troops advance toward Kanpetlet in southern Chin State via Saw Township in Magway Region, after capturing Falam and Tonzang towns in northern Chin State.

Furthermore, the military is reinforcing its troops via Kyauktu and making military preparations at a location just over 10 miles away from Mindat.

The Chin Brotherhood and its allies captured Matupi on 29 June 2024, Mindat on 21 December and Kanpetlet on 22 December, and have since been establishing public administration mechanisms. The junta is now launching counter-offensives in response to these developments.