Local defence forces and the public administrations asked the residents in Mindat Township, Chin State, to build more bunkers due to a possible increase in the junta’s airstrikes this year.

Salaing Yawman, a Mindat public administration official said: “We are advising the public to build more bunkers near their homes as the military’s airstrikes are likely to increase in residential areas.”

He said that currently, the junta military flies drones and reconnaissance aircraft over the villages three or four times a day to scout the area before carrying out airstrikes. After carrying out airstrikes they also use drones to assess the damage and casualties.

The military junta has cut off phone lines and internet access in Mindat township since 2021 to prevent people from sharing information about fighting, air attacks and the actions of defence forces in the area.

Salaing Yawman said: “We don't have internet access or telecommunication in Mindat. If we had phone lines we could communicate with each other about the junta’s air assault, but the military has cut off both the internet and phone lines. We now use walkie-talkies to keep in contact, but in important cases, walkie-talkies don’t help that much.

Jet fighters launched airstrikes on Mindat Township’s Panpa Village and dropped 17 bombs on the morning of 16 April. A four-year-old boy, a 17-year-old girl and a 70-year-old women were killed in the attack. Two houses also caught fire and another nine houses were damaged.

Unexploded shells have been found close to villages in Mindat township and local defence forces have also warned the villagers to be careful and look out for unexploded ordnance when they go to their fields, farms and the forest.