Myanmar border clash kills Chin fighter, stray bullets hit Mizoram homes
A fierce clash between Chin armed groups near Myanmar’s border killed a CDF-Hualngoram cadre, damaged homes and forced over 1,000 refugees to flee;

The Zokhawthar border gate being shut down (Photo: @mizozeitgeist / X)
Aizawl, July 6: A fierce gunfight along the Myanmar border claimed the life of a CDF-Hualngoram cadre on Saturday, with stray bullets from the fighting whizzing into Zokhawthar village in Mizoram, damaging at least five homes and a parked car.
The clashes erupted between the Chinland Defence Force-Hualngoram (CDF-Hualngoram) and the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) near Rihkhawdar and Khawmawi — just a few kilometres from Zokhawthar — around 8.45 am and raged until 2.30 pm.
Amid the hail of bullets, a desperate plea rang out over a loudspeaker in Zokhawthar: “Your bullets are flying into our homes — please stop!” Local sources said the renewed fighting has triggered fresh panic and displacement along the Indo-Myanmar border.
Tragically, a refugee — a carpenter from Tahan in Myanmar’s Sagaing region — drowned in the Tiau river after trying to flee back to India when the shooting broke out. His body is yet to be recovered.
In response to the volatile situation, the Assam Rifles sealed the Indo-Myanmar border gate at Zokhawthar, disrupting daily life for Myanmar nationals who regularly cross into Mizoram for schooling and medical care.
By Saturday afternoon, more than 1,000 refugees had crossed into Mizoram seeking shelter. Six combatants — four from CDF-Hualngoram and two from CNDF — were injured and treated locally; their condition remains unclear.
The CDF-Hualngoram, under the Chinland Council, and the CNDF, aligned with the Chin Brotherhood and the Interim Chin National Consultative Council (ICNCC), have traded accusations of territorial encroachment and drone attacks since hostilities began on Wednesday with the killing of CDF-Hualngoram member Lalliandinga.
Territorial control in Myanmar’s Falam township remains at the heart of the dispute, as both sides continue to lay claim to the same areas.
Meanwhile, efforts are under way to broker peace. A member of the ‘Advocacy Group for Peace in Chinland’ — formed by Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma — confirmed mediation attempts are ongoing, warning that infighting could weaken the broader Chin-Mizo resistance against Myanmar’s military junta.
The latest flare-up comes just four months after the Chinland Council and the ICNCC signed a ceasefire agreement at the Mizoram Chief Minister’s residence in February.