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 promoted and transferred to Falam from the Htauk Kyant base in Yangon, was initially shot in the arm during the battle before being fatally wounded 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.
In response to the military council’s attack, revolutionary forces launched a counter-offensive aimed at completely capturing Infantry Battalion 268. Deputy Commander Aung Si Thu’s body was not returned to his family but was instead buried within the military compound in Falam. The battle represents another significant engagement in the ongoing conflict between revolutionary forces and the military council in Chin State, with the loss of these high-ranking officers marking a substantial blow to the military council’s command structure in the region.
