Myanmar junta forces advancing toward Mindat kill two locals and burn down 10 housesMizzima

Advancing Myanmar military forces moving toward Mindat have reportedly killed two civilian villagers from Htin Chaung and incinerated ten residential homes in Mindat Township, Chin State, according to local community sources.

The military column, which originated from the Kyauktu-based No. 368 Artillery Unit in Magway Region before pushing into southern Chin State, executed two males, aged 16 and 60 in Htin Chaung Village on 30 May, before torching the local residences during the raid.

“One of them was my friend’s younger brother, and the other was the father of a church minister. They were ordinary villagers with no connection to any armed groups,” a local resident of Mindat confirmed to Mizzima.

Reports indicate that the two victims were captured and subsequently killed by junta troops while attempting to flee Htin Chaung Village during the military incursion. Their bodies were discovered by local residents yesterday, 3 June.

Following the incident, the Catholic Christian News (CCN) released a formal statement regarding the death of the older victim, identifying him as the father of a seminarian from Htin Chaung Village within the Mindat Diocese, and calling for prayers for his soul and for the comfort of the grieving family.

In the wake of the killings, pro-junta Telegram channels and supporters have been circulating propaganda online, posting photographs of the two deceased civilians positioned alongside weapons and ammunition to falsely claim they were members of the Chinland Defense Force (CDF) killed in action.

In Mindat Township, where fighting remains exceptionally intense, a local analyst monitoring regional airstrikes reported that the military conducted heavy aerial bombardments between 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm on 3 June.

A junta fighter jet carried out two strikes, while a Y-12 transport plane conducted eight successive bombing runs over the area.

An official from the Mindat Township Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp Management Committee stated that the number of displaced persons in the township has now exceeded 17,000 due to the rapid escalation of ground fighting and airstrikes.

Military analysts suggest that the Myanmar junta is launching an offensive in Mindat and Kanpetlet townships with thousands of troops, with the strategic intention of advancing further toward Rakhine State.