29 April 2026 – An elderly woman, estimated to be around 70 years old, was killed by troops from the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC), Myanmar’s military junta, in Thanhniar village, Falam township, Chin State.
The killing took place on 26 April when SSPC forces entered the village, located approximately five miles from Falam town.
The victim was unable to flee due to her age and health condition. Sources indicate that SSPC soldiers entered her home, shot her fatally in the head, and then attempted to set the house on fire.
The attempt at arson failed to burn the house down. Residents discovered her body on the morning of 29 April when they returned to the village after the troops had withdrawn.
This incident is part of the escalating military conflict in Chin State between the SSPC and local resistance groups.
The use of violence against civilians is a documented tactic in the conflict. The SSPC employs a ‘four cuts’ counterinsurgency strategy, which relies on “inhumane and indiscriminate attacks”. These tactics include the widespread use of arson to destroy civilian homes and villages, as well as heavy aerial offensives involving airstrikes and artillery shelling. – Reporting by Daniel
