Bodies of abducted Myanmar teens found near Mizoram border 

The two siblings are wards of a commander of the pro-democracy People’s Defence Force

The bodies of two Myanmar teenagers, missing after they were reportedly abducted by the Myanmar army, were found in a jungle near that country’s border with Mizoram, officials said on Thursday.

The teens, identified as Lalnunpuii, 17, and her younger brother, Lalruatmawia, are believed to be children of Lalzidinga, the commander of the People’s Defence Force (PDF) battling the Myanmar army that took control of the country in February 2021.

Social media accounts of Myanmar resistance groups said the two siblings went missing on Sunday after the Tatmadaw (Myanmar army) raided the Hairual village near the India-Myanmar border.

The relatives of the victims, who are taking shelter at Zokhawthar in Mizoram’s Champhai district, identified them, the local police said.

The PDF, comprising the youth and pro-democracy activists, is the armed wing of the National Unity Government of Myanmar. Its members have been engaged in a gunbattle with the Tatmadaw in the Hairual area, reports said.

The Myanmar army reportedly burnt down more than 16 houses, destroyed other properties in Hairual and killed several civilians.

About 31,000 Myanmar nationals, including 11,798 children and 10,047 women, have taken shelter in different districts of Mizoram since the military junta, led by General Min Aung Hlaing, seized power more than a year ago.