12 May 2026 By Nway
TONZANG, Myanmar — Resistance forces in northern Chin State have shuttered a key highway and moved to high alert as a massive military column, supported by local ethnic militias, advances toward the town of Tonzang.
The Chin Defence Force (CDF) – Tonzang announced an indefinite closure of the Tedim-Tonzang road on Monday morning. The move follows reports that a junta column of approximately 800 troops—including reinforcements from the 296th Light Infantry Battalion—had departed the military-held town of Tedim, heading north toward resistance territory.
Military sources in Tonzang believe the advance is a calculated attempt by the regime to reclaim territory lost two years ago. “This looks like the first step in a campaign to retake the town,” a military source told MPA. “We are monitoring their movements closely. What makes this more dangerous is the presence of the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA-EC), who know the local terrain intimately.”
The ZRA-EC is an ethnic armed group currently aligned with the military junta. Local analysts say the partnership between the military and the ZRA is intended to provide the junta’s ground troops with much-needed local intelligence and mountain warfare expertise.
The advance comes just days after more than 600 soldiers from Kalay, in the neighboring Sagaing Region, arrived in Tedim to bolster the junta’s northern offensive. In response, CDF-Tonzang has reinforced its defensive perimeters.
“We have combined forces ready to defend Tonzang,” a resistance representative stated, adding that the road closure was a necessary measure to protect civilian lives and ensure operational security during the expected clashes.
Tonzang was captured by the Chinland Council’s combined forces in May 2024 and has remained a significant stronghold for the resistance ever since. Its location near the Indian border makes it a strategic asset for both sides, controlling vital supply lines and influence over the northern hills.
As the column progresses through the rugged terrain, residents in nearby villages have begun fleeing into the forests, fearing a repeat of the scorched-earth tactics often employed by the military during major offensives. With both sides dug in, the northern Chin Hills appear set for one of the most significant military confrontations of the year.
