Renewed armed hostilities between rival Chin insurgent groups in Myanmar’s Chin state have triggered the arrival of around 300 fresh refugees into Zokhawthar village in Mizoram’s Champhai district, local sources said on Saturday. Gunfire erupted between the Chinland Defence Force-Hualngoram (CDF-Hualngoram) and the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) in Rihkhawdar and Khawmawi villages near the IndiaMyanmar border from 8:45 a.m. to about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, forcing civilians to flee.
One cadre of the CDF-Hualngoram was reportedly killed during the fighting, according to the Zokhawthar branch of the Young Mizo Association (YMA). While the gun battle took place across the border, bullets struck homes on higher ground in Zokhawthar and even shattered a car window, though no local residents were harmed.
However, a refugee from Tahan in Sagaing region tragically drowned in the Tiau River while attempting to flee the violence. The man had crossed back into Myanmar early Saturday morning but tried to return to Mizoram when the shooting intensified. His body was still missing as of Saturday evening. At least six fighters — four from the CDF-Hualngoram and two from the CNDF — were wounded in the clashes and later taken to Zokhawthar for medical attention.
Their conditions were not immediately known. The conflict, which began in the early hours of Wednesday (Burma time), has reportedly centred on territorial disputes in Falam township. The CDF-Hualngoram, aligned with the Chinland Council, accuses the CNDF — part of the Chin Brotherhood alliance — of encroaching on its controlled area and launching drone strikes on villages. CNDF leaders, however, allege their outposts were surrounded and attacked in Tuichir on July 2.
The Assam Rifles has since closed the Indo-Myanmar border gate at Zokhawthar, citing security concerns. The move has disrupted daily life for Myanmar nationals residing on both sides of the border, including students enrolled in schools in Zokhawthar and patients needing medical care in Mizoram. Tensions have been escalating in recent weeks among Chin factions vying for control over strategic areas near the Indian frontier, complicating efforts to maintain stability along the sensitive border region.
