BY PC Bureau
April 10, 2025 – Rebel forces in Myanmar have seized key towns near the northwestern border with India, dealing significant blows to the military junta’s control, even as the country grapples with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.
According to Myanmar media reports, the Chin Brotherhood, an alliance of six insurgent armies, captured Falam, Chin State’s second-largest town near India’s Mizoram state, while resistance groups led by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) took control of Indaw in Sagaing Region, highlighting the growing strength of anti-junta forces amidst a complex web of intra-tribal dynamics.
The Chin Brotherhood began its assault on Falam on November 5, 2024, and by Monday, April 7, 2025, had seized the junta’s remaining Battalion 268, according to a Chin Brotherhood official who spoke anonymously to Radio Free Asia (RFA) due to fear of reprisals. “We’re continuing clearance operations now,” the official said, adding that further details would be released in the coming days. The conflict forced over 10,000 residents to flee across the border into India, exacerbating the refugee crisis in the region.
CONFIRMED: #Myanmar #ethnic #KNU/#KNLA told me they have conquered/taken over #Myawaddy from #militarycoup regime as of last night. Coup soldiers surrendering & trying to seek protection from #Thailand. Minutes ago, Thai reinforcements of ~20 soldiers. #WhatsHappeninglnMyanmar https://t.co/LElMnsxTDm pic.twitter.com/h1LnYoN3of
— May Wong (@MayWongCNA) April 11, 2024
Meanwhile, in Sagaing Region, a combined resistance force comprising the KIA, the People’s Defense Force (PDF) of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG), and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) captured Indaw after eight months of intense fighting. The final assault on Monday targeted a strategically important junta base—a World War II-era Japanese military hospital on a hill overlooking the town and the Shwebo-Myitkyina highway.
A Katha PDF member involved in the operation told The Irrawaddy, “Junta fighter jets bombed from the air nonstop, so we resorted to a nighttime raid to seize the base. They suffered significant casualties, and we captured a large haul of weapons and ammunition.” The resistance forces seized heavy weapons, including howitzers, mortars, and a cannon, while taking around 40 junta soldiers as prisoners of war, a junta soldier confirmed to RFA.
ALSO READ: Analysis: Ethnic Rivalries Unravel Stability in Manipur’s Hills
Indaw’s location on the Mandalay-Myitkyina highway makes it a critical entry point into Kachin State, locals noted. The KIA and its allies have also captured Maw Luu, 34 km north of Indaw, in December 2024, further consolidating their control in the region. Since the 2021 military coup, the KIA has been a formidable force, training and fighting alongside PDFs and other resistance groups, seizing over 300 junta outposts and controlling around 15 towns in Kachin State, as well as two in northern Shan State, according to The Irrawaddy.
The rebel victories come amid heightened instability in Myanmar, compounded by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar on March 28, 2025, killing 3,600, injuring over 5,000, and leaving 160 missing as of Monday, per RFA. A 20-day ceasefire was announced by the junta on April 2, following similar offers from the Arakan Army and the NUG, but residents report that junta airstrikes and military checkpoints have hindered rescue efforts. The junta has also imposed restrictions on international aid groups, requiring prior approval for assistance, further complicating relief operations.
ALSO READ: Kuki-Zo Warn Meitei Against Chinga Kaba Buffer Breach
Insurgent armies are active in six of Chin State’s nine townships, including Paletwa, Matupi, Mindat, Kanpetlet, and Tonzang, according to RFA. The seizure of Falam adds to the 95 towns nationwide now under insurgent control, as reported by Myanmar Peace Monitor. However, the conflict in Tonzang has also exposed intra-tribal tensions, particularly within the Chin ethnic groups. A separate letter from “The Youths of Eastern Zogam” to India’s Union Home Secretary, dated April 8, 2025, alleges that a sitting MLA from Manipur, Chinlunthang of the Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA), was involved in the Tonzang clash on April 4 and fled across the border. The letter claims that independent investigations link Chinlunthang to the Chin National Army/Front (CNA/F), raising concerns about cross-border political entanglements and the recruitment of Indian youth into foreign militias under the guise of “Zotal Volunteers” or “Zou Gal-kap.”
These developments underscore the volatile interplay between Myanmar’s civil conflict, intra-tribal dynamics, and regional instability near the Indian border. The junta has not issued an official statement, and calls to spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun and Chin State’s spokesperson Aung Cho went unanswered. As Myanmar battles both natural disaster and ongoing war, the rebel gains signal a shifting power dynamic, but the path to stability remains fraught with challenges, including the growing specter of cross-border tensions and tribal divisions.
ALSO READ: Manipur: A Month After Shah’s Mobility Pledge, Defiant Tribals Stall Any Breakthrough
