(Staff article from the Guardian UK on 20 June 2024.)
As the drones flew silently over western Myanmar’s
Chin hills, the junta did not know what was about to hit them. Their operators
were hidden a few hundred metres away in the dense forest. As the images on
their screens indicated the drone fleet was hovering exactly above the target –
a key military base in the town of Lailenpi – they hit the button on their
controllers and bombs began to fall.
We had precise hits,” said Noah, 20, one of the specialist drone fighters in the Chin National Army (CNA), one of the ethnic rebel groups who have been fighting Myanmar’s military for almost three years. “It took them by surprise. We killed many, including the second-in-command of the base.” After three days of fighting, the rebels hoisted their tricolour flag over the base and shouted slogans of victory.