Junta suicide drone strike kills grade 10 schoolgirl in Falam

Junta suicide drone strike kills grade 10 schoolgirl in Falam

A suicide drone strike by the junta in Lunghawh Village, Falam Township, Chin State, killed a schoolgirl and seriously injured her mother.

The attack occurred around 4:00 p.m. on March 8 killed 19-year-old Grade 10 student Mai Ruth Van Lal Tha Nei Thiang at the scene and injured her 56-year-old mother in the arms and legs, locals reported.

“A junta drone struck a house near Lunghawh Village’s church. The girl who died was cooking when the blast hit. Her mother was also seriously injured,” a villager told Chin World.

In a similar incident, on March 7, 14-year-old Val Thian Nun Tang, a displaced resident of Simzawl Village in Falam Township, was killed by a junta artillery shell while briefly returning to the village to retrieve belongings. Two friends who accompanied the teenager also suffered serious leg injuries.

Furthermore, on March 8, junta drone bombings hit Lunghaw and Simzawl villages, causing casualties among locals.

In Falam Township, more than 5,000 residents from 13 villages have fled to nearby forest areas due to the junta’s military operations.

The junta has deployed thousands of troops, backed by airstrikes and drone attacks, in an attempt to recapture Falam Town, the township seat currently controlled by resistance forces. However, more than four months later, it has been unable to retake the town, and heavy clashes between junta troops and Chin resistance forces are ongoing. 

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