Military sources and CDM Captain Zin Yaw have confirmed that Lieutenant Colonel Wai Lin Htun, the commander of Infantry Battalion 268, and Deputy Commander Aung Si Thu were killed during the battle in Falam, Chin State. Both officers were killed during the fighting that occurred on March 17th. The commander’s wife had been residing in Mawlamyine city, citing health reasons rather than staying at the military base in Falam.
The death of Commander Wai Lin Htun was confirmed when reports emerged of funeral arrangements being made at his residence in Mawlamyine. Deputy Commander Aung Si Thu, who had been recently promoted and transferred from the Htauk Kyant base in Yangon to Falam, was initially wounded in the arm during the battle before being fatally struck by a hand grenade, according to a relative who confirmed his death. The fighting in Falam began around 5 AM on March 11th when the military council forces launched an offensive with air support against revolutionary forces’ positions at Church Hill and Hospital Hill areas.
Revolutionary forces have been conducting counter-offensives aimed at completely capturing Infantry Battalion 268. Deputy Commander Aung Si Thu’s body was buried within the Falam military compound and was not returned to his family. The battle represents a significant engagement between resistance forces and the military council in the ongoing struggle for control of strategic positions in Chin State. The confirmation of these high-ranking casualties demonstrates the intensity of the fighting and the continued resistance against the military council’s forces in the region.
