26 April 2026 By Nway
FALAM, Myanmar — Fierce fighting is continuing on the outskirts of Falam in western Myanmar’s Chin State, just 48 hours after a massive military offensive forced ethnic resistance groups to withdraw from the strategic mountain town.
Military sources and representatives from the resistance confirmed that a coordinated assault involving hundreds of airstrikes and two large-scale ground columns finally breached the town’s defences in the early hours of Friday morning. The withdrawal marks a significant territorial shift in a region that has been a stronghold for the anti-junta movement for over a year.
The final push by the military junta began in mid-April, with troops advancing from two separate directions: one through the Thaing Ngin route west of Kale, and another via the Waibula-Kale road.
“The military used four to five aircraft simultaneously, dropping hundreds of bombs as they advanced with hundreds of ground troops,” a military source from Falam told MPA. “Our forces put up a strong resistance, but the sheer volume of the aerial bombardment made it impossible to hold our positions. We had to make a strategic retreat from Falam and Surbung Airport.”
The town of Falam had been under the control of the Chin Brotherhood since April 2025. While the military has now re-entered the town, the Chinland Council (CC) remains active in the surrounding area.
“It is true that the military has re-occupied the town,” said Nai John Kim, Information Officer for the Ministry of Defence of the Chinland Council. “However, the battle is not over. Heavy clashes are still occurring in the areas surrounding Falam as we continue to engage the junta’s columns.”
The junta’s campaign to retake Falam involved a force of over 1,000 soldiers and has been a primary objective since October 2025. For the military, Falam is a vital administrative and logistical hub for controlling the Chin highlands. For the resistance, the loss of the town is a setback, but they maintain that their guerrilla tactics will make it difficult for the junta to secure the region.
As of Sunday, residents in the area report that the sound of heavy artillery and occasional airstrikes can still be heard from the hills overlooking Falam. With most of the civilian population already displaced, the region remains one of the most volatile frontlines in Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.
