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In the dead of night last month, a resident was startled by detonations in a adjacent village, and subsequently warplanes circling the area. She ran out her home to see smoke rising far away.

"We were horrified. We thought the junta's planes would bomb us too. So we seized our essentials – a bit of food and clothing and fled into the woodlands around our village."

Her face trembles as she recounts the account of what occurred on 26 November in her village, situated in Myanmar's western Chin area. She's among countless residents who've fled their homes in recent weeks after the national armed forces began a intensive operation of bombing runs, alongside infantry advances in insurgent-controlled zones across the country.

Residents of Chin state have characterized the regime's newest campaign as the most brutal it has unleashed in more than three years. Countless refugees have sought refuge in different areas of the state. Iang is among a group that entered into India's Mizoram state. At present residing in a decrepit badminton court in Vaphai, the group's limited items they were able to carry are packed in sacks.

An octogenarian has had to escape his village at the age of 80, living in improvised dwellings in the wilderness for days, prior to eventually reaching a secure location.

"We fear our own government. They are exceptionally brutal. Their military has entered our and other villages in the past, they've arrested people, tortured them, and burned down homes," he says.

It is difficult to converse with Burmese civilians openly. Myanmar's regime does not allow free access in the country for foreign journalists. It took over the country in a coup in February 2021, soon after the last election.

Civilian Toll and Targeted Strikes

During its latest offensive, the junta last week attacked a medical facility in Rakhine. Insurgent forces in Rakhine claim at least 30 people were killed and more than 70 hurt.

A human rights organization states that from September onward at least several educational institutions and several churches in Chin State have been hit by junta airstrikes, claiming the lives of 12 people among them six children.

Reports indicate the shelling of a school in a community on 13 October. Two students perished as they were studying. The bombs ripped through their classrooms harming more than a dozen other students.

This is the second time, a man and his small family – a wife and two young children - have been displaced. Back in 2021, following the coup, their home was razed in an air strike. They rebuilt their lives in K-Haimual village. Now they're without a home once more.

"I can't find the words to explain how difficult and traumatic it is and what a heart-wrenching call it was to make to leave. But we had to do it to survive," he says.

A Disputed Vote

The National League for Democracy party, which won decisive victories in the two elections preceding the coup, is not participating as most of its senior leaders are in jail.

"This vote is unwanted. Because the military lacks the ability to govern our country. They only work for the interest of their high-ranking leaders. When the civilian leadership was in power, we experienced a bit of democracy. But now all we do is grieve and lament," says the refugee.

A resident believes the election will be fixed. "Should we cast a ballot for a party not allied with the military, I believe they will tamper with the results and claim we voted for them."

The poll will occur in stages, with a result anticipated around the end of January. Rebel groups have declared it a pretense.

Insurgent Frontline and Sacrifices

In a headquarters of a leading insurgent force operating in the state, a senior official states: "This vote is only being held to perpetuate military dictatorship. It's not about the public's voice."

He highlights the areas where the most intense fighting is ongoing. "Units of hundreds of soldiers trying to advance into the northern part of Chin state from several axes," he says. "The infantry are being backed up by air strikes, artillery fire and by drone units."

Access to such bases is highly unusual. Located within dense jungle highlands, it is the center of the resistance against the junta in Chin state.

At a medical facility at the base, a group of injured fighters had arrived overnight and had to undergo lengthy operations. Some of them have had to undergo amputations.

A significant number were just schoolboys when the coup occurred in 2021. Just about adults now, they've set aside their dreams to fight on the frontline against the junta.

"During the pullback we ran forward and I stepped on a landmine. We were injured in the explosion. Then we were attacked from the air. The airstrikes make things very challenging for us," says one injured fighter. "I've lost a leg, should I lose my life I'm happy to make the sacrifice so that coming generations have a improved existence."

The consequence of the intensity of the recent campaign is visible in ward after ward at the hospital.

However, it's the support and grit of many thousands of youths who joined the fight that have helped the rebels make significant gains against a much more powerful rival.

Individuals such as 80-year-old Ral Uk Thang hope that following the vote, the junta will retreat, and he will be able to go back home.

"However, I doubt I will live to see democracy reestablished in Myanmar," he says. "I pray my children and grandchildren can experience it some day."