SAC Recaptures Tonzang After Chin Joint Forces Withdraw — Junta Seizes Second Symbolic Town on May 19 Following Falam

Myanmar junta forces recaptured Tonzang — a strategically significant town in northern Chin State — on May 19, 2026, after Chin joint forces withdrew in the face of overwhelming junta pressure including heavy airstrikes, drone attacks, and military encirclement. Chin resistance forces had held Tonzang since May 2024, approximately two years. The SAC operation involved approximately 600 combined troops who launched a four-column pincer attack on May 11, advancing simultaneously from Tedim Township and from Cikha town. The Zomi Revolutionary Army–Eastern Command (ZRA-EC), which fought alongside junta troops, participated in the assault from the Cikha direction. Two Chin fighters were killed in the final stages of fighting and five displaced civilians were detained by junta forces. The Chin People's Union and Army (CPU/A) issued an emergency appeal for international donations on May 19 to sustain the Chin defense. The recapture of Tonzang marks the second significant junta territorial gain in Chin State in weeks, following the April 25-26 recapture of Falam — Chin State's second-largest town, which had been under resistance control for approximately one year. Together, the Falam and Tonzang recaptures, combined with SAC control of Hakha (state capital) and ongoing operations in Tedim and Mindat districts, represent the junta's most significant territorial recovery in Chin State since the 2021 coup. The CPU/A estimated 500+ SAC casualties during the broader Falam-Tonzang campaign. Tonzang lies in northern Chin State near the India border, approximately 25km from Mizoram, making the recapture significant for the SAC's stated goal of securing the India-Myanmar border zone.