25 April 2026 By Mon Lay
FALAM, Myanmar — In a major development on the western front, the Myanmar military has regained control of Falam, the second-largest city in Chin State, following a relentless seven-month offensive that utilised overwhelming air and ground power.
The city, which had been held by Chin resistance forces since April 2025, fell in the early hours of Friday morning. Sources on the ground confirmed that junta troops entered the city center around 3:00 AM on April 24 after shattering resistance lines with a final wave of airstrikes and heavy artillery barrages.
The junta’s campaign to reclaim Falam began in late September last year. The military launched a two-pronged assault, with columns pushing through the mountainous terrain from Thaing Ngin in the west and via the Weibulat route from the Kale-Gangaw road.
The offensive was met with fierce resistance from a combined force of the Chin Brotherhood (CB) and the Chin Council (CC). Despite significant territorial losses in other parts of the country, the military high command prioritised the recapture of Falam due to its strategic position as a gateway between central Myanmar and the Chin highlands.
Throughout the campaign, the military relied heavily on its air force to break the deadlock. “The junta used everything they had—fighter jets, Y-12 transport planes repurposed as bombers, and constant heavy artillery support,” a local observer told MPA. “The intensity of the aerial bombardment in the final weeks made it impossible for the resistance to maintain a static defense within the town.”
Both sides are reported to have suffered heavy casualties during the months of attrition along the mountainous approach roads. While the military now occupies the town, local sources indicate that resistance forces remain active in the surrounding hills, and tensions remain at a breaking point.
The fall of Falam marks a rare territorial victory for the military junta, which has been reeling from a string of defeats across Shan, Rakhine, and Kayin states. However, analysts suggest that maintaining control over Falam will be a significant challenge for the under-strength military, as supply lines through the rugged Chin terrain remain vulnerable to guerrilla ambushes.
As of Saturday, a heavy military presence remains in Falam, and most of the town’s civilian population remains displaced. For the Chin resistance, the loss of the city is a setback, but commanders have vowed that the battle for the highlands is far from over.
