Around 80 soldiers detained by PDF-Zoland escape after attacking guards in Tiddim, locals fear aerial attacks

Around 80 military prisoners detained by the People's Defence Force-Zoland (PDF-Zoland) in Tiddim Township, Chin State, have escaped en masse, according to military sources. Last night, September 13, approximately 80 military prisoners, including majors and colonels detained by PDF-Zoland, attacked the guarding troops, seized weapons, and escaped. "In the evening, two inmates asked for permission to go out to shower, and we granted it. Once outside, they attacked the guarding troops, took their weapons and ammunition, and released the military prisoners from the cells," a source close to PDF-Zoland told the Irrawaddy Times. PDF-Zoland has been deploying troops and conducting cordon searches for the escaped military prisoners since this morning, September 14. "PDF-Zoland has deployed troops in the mountains and villages and is continuing cordon searches. The details are not yet known," the source added. Due to the escape of armed military prisoners, local residents in Tiddim Township are particularly concerned about the risk of aerial bombardment by the military, and caution is also required in their movements and activities within the region. Photo caption: Soldiers captured by PDF-Zoland during the seizure of Kennedy military base (November 2023)