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In the dead of night last month, Iang Za Kim was startled by blasts in a neighbouring village, followed by fighter jets flying overhead. She dashed from her home to see plumes of smoke in the distance.

"We were horrified. We thought the junta's planes might attack us too. So we grabbed what we could – some food and clothes and fled into the jungles surrounding our village."

She visibly shakes as she recounts the account of what happened on 26 November in her village, situated in Myanmar's western Chin area. She's among countless residents who've abandoned their homes in recent weeks after the Myanmar army began a intensive operation of air strikes, coupled with a land assault in rebel-held areas throughout the nation.

People in Chin state have labeled the junta's latest offensive as the fiercest it has conducted in the past three years. Countless refugees have looked for safety in different areas of the state. Iang is among a group that entered into India's Mizoram state. At present residing in a dilapidated badminton court in Vaphai, the group's meager possessions they were able to carry are contained in plastic sacks.

Ral Uk Thang has had to abandon his residence at the age of 80, residing in improvised dwellings in forests for days, until at last making it to safety.

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

It is challenging to converse with Burmese civilians freely. Myanmar's ruling junta does not allow unfettered entry in the country for overseas correspondents. It took over the country in a putsch in February 2021, not long after the last election.

Humanitarian Toll and Targeted Attacks

As part of the newest operation, the junta recently attacked a hospital in Rakhine State. Insurgent forces in Rakhine report at least 30 people were slain and more than 70 injured.

A human rights organization reports that from September onward at least three schools and a number of places of worship in Chin State have been targeted by junta airstrikes, killing 12 people comprising six children.

Verification shows the bombing of a school in a village on 13 October. Two students were killed as they were attending lessons. The bombs ripped through their classrooms wounding more than a dozen other students.

This is the second time, Bawi Nei Lian and his loved ones – a wife and two young children - have been displaced. Previously in 2021, shortly after the coup, their home was razed in an air strike. They reconstructed their existence 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 difficult decision it was to make to leave. But we had to do it to survive," he says.

A Disputed Election

The former ruling party, which won landslides in the two elections preceding the coup, is not participating as its key figures are in jail.

"We reject this election. Because the military does not know how to govern our country. They only work for the interest of their senior officers. When the civilian leadership was in power, we experienced a measure of democracy. But now all we do is grieve and lament," says the elderly man.

Iang Za Kim believes the election will be fixed. "If we participated for a party independent from the military, I believe they will tamper with the results and claim we voted for them."

The poll will take place in stages, with a result projected around the end of January. Rebel groups have declared it a sham.

Resistance Frontline and Losses

Within a compound of a leading insurgent force operating in the state, a senior official states: "This election is only being held to extend military dictatorship. It's not about the public's voice."

He indicates the areas where the heaviest clashes is taking place. "Battalions of hundreds of soldiers trying to advance into the northern part of Chin state from several axes," he says. "The soldiers are being aided by air strikes, artillery fire and by UAVs."

Entry to such bases is extremely rare. Located within dense jungle highlands, it is the core of the opposition to the junta in Chin state.

At a medical facility at the base, a group of injured fighters had arrived overnight and had to undergo extensive medical procedures. Some of them have had to undergo limb removals.

Many of them were just teenagers when the coup occurred in 2021. Recently come of age, they've let go of their dreams to serve in the conflict against the junta.

"During the pullback we ran forward and I detonated a landmine. We were injured in the explosion. Then we were struck from above. The airstrikes make things very difficult for us," explains a combatant. "I've lost a leg, if I must sacrifice my life I'm happy to make the sacrifice so that coming generations have a improved existence."

The consequence of the intensity of the ongoing operation is visible in room after room at the hospital.

Yet, it's the determination and resolve of countless numbers of youngsters who took up weapons that have helped the rebels make notable progress against a far stronger rival.

Individuals such as 80-year-old the elderly refugee hope that post-poll, the junta will pull back, and he will be able to return home.

"Yet I believe I will live to see democracy restored in Myanmar," he says. "I hope my children and grandchildren can witness it some day."