Resistance force gunfire forced a junta Mi-35 attack helicopter carrying out airstrikes on villages in the southern part of Kale (Kalay) Township, Sagaing Region to make an emergency landing on 27 April 2025.
A local source familiar with the current military situation in the area said: “The southern [resistance] groups said the Mi-35 attack helicopter was hit by ground fire from a .50 [calibre machine gun]. We heard it had to make an emergency landing in Hanthawaddy Village, [in Gangaw Township, Magway Region]. It was hit, but it did not crash.”
The Chin National Army (CNA) and a coalition of its resistance allies captured Kyanthar Village in southern Kale Township on 11 April 2025.
On 25 April 2025, over 300 junta soldiers in two columns started attacking the resistance forces in Kyanthar Village. As of 27 April the junta still had not taken the village and had suffered casualties whilst the resistance forces had managed to seize weapons and ammunition from the junta troops.
Talking of the junta attacks on villages in southern Kale Township, a villager from there said: “Since the fighting started, junta aircraft haven’t just been bombing one village [in southern Kale Township] — they’ve actually been hitting about five villages. It’s been three days now. It’s kind of like when the resistance took over the junta’s Kanparni camp [also in southern Kale Township] — back then, they bombed multiple villages, not just one. Now, they’ve been bombing Natchaung, Natmyaung, Ngapha, Aungchanthar, and Waibula villages [in southern Kale Township]. There’ve been reports of casualties, but we still don’t know the exact number. From what I understand, on the first day alone, one person was killed — hit badly in the abdomen — and three others were seriously injured. And now, there’s probably more casualties.”
Previously, in southern Kale Township, the CNA resistance coalition took control of Kanparni Village and Kanparni military camp on 12 February 2025 and the villages of east and west Aungthaya and the Aungthaya military camp on 14 February 2025.
