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Late one night last month, Iang Za Kim was startled by explosions in a neighbouring village, and subsequently military aircraft flying overhead. She ran out her home to see smoke rising from a distance.

"We were terrified. We feared the military's aircraft would bomb us too. So we grabbed what we could – a bit of food and clothing and ran into the woodlands around our village."

Iang's face quivers as she narrates the story of what happened on 26 November in her community, situated in Myanmar's western Chin State. She is one of thousands of civilians who've abandoned their homes in recent weeks following the national armed forces began a intensive operation of aerial attacks, coupled with a land assault in rebel-held areas across the country.

Some from Chin state have described the regime's newest campaign as the most intense it has unleashed in over three years. Many of the displaced have looked for safety in different areas of the state. Iang belongs to a group that made the border crossing into Mizoram in India. At present residing in a rundown badminton court in Vaphai, the group's meager possessions they were able to carry are packed in polyethylene bags.

An elderly man has had to flee his home at the age of 80, living in temporary huts in jungles for days, prior to eventually reaching a secure location.

"We're afraid of our own government. They are exceptionally brutal. Their military has invaded our and other villages in the past, they've taken citizens, abused them, and burned down homes," he says.

It isn't easy to interview Burmese civilians without restriction. Myanmar's regime does not allow free access in the country for international reporters. It took over the country in a military takeover in February 2021, soon after the last election.

Humanitarian Cost and Deliberate Strikes

As part of the newest operation, the junta in the past week struck a clinic in Rakhine State. Rebel groups in Rakhine claim at least 30 people were slain and more than 70 wounded.

An advocacy group says that since mid-September at least three schools and several churches in Chin State have been attacked by regime air raids, killing 12 people among them six children.

Reports indicate the destruction of a school in Vanha village on 13 October. Two students lost their lives as they were attending lessons. The bombs ripped through their classrooms injuring more than a dozen other students.

This is the second time, a father and his small family – a wife and two young children - have been made homeless. Previously in 2021, following the coup, their home was razed in an air strike. They started over in another village. Now they're displaced a second time.

"It's hard to express to explain how difficult and traumatic it is and what a tough choice it was to make to leave. But we had to do it to survive," he says.

A Disputed Electoral Process

A prominent political group, which won overwhelming majorities in the two elections preceding the coup, will not be contesting as its key figures are imprisoned.

"We don't want the election. Because the military does not know how to govern our country. They only work for the gain of their senior officers. When the civilian leadership was in power, we experienced a bit of democracy. But now all we do is grieve and lament," says Ral Uk Thang.

Iang Za Kim believes the election will be rigged. "If we participated for a party not allied with the military, I believe they will steal our votes and claim we voted for them."

The vote will take place in rounds, with a result expected around the end of January. Resistance forces have called it a farce.

Insurgent Battleground and Sacrifices

Within a compound of a leading insurgent force operating in the state, a vice chairman states: "This election is only being held to perpetuate military dictatorship. It's not about the people's choice."

He points out the areas where the most intense fighting is taking place. "Units of hundreds of soldiers trying to advance into the northern part of Chin state from four directions," he says. "The troops are being aided by air strikes, artillery fire and by drone units."

Visits to such bases is highly unusual. Situated in dense jungle highlands, it is the heart of the resistance against the junta in Chin state.

In a hospital at the base, several injured fighters were brought in overnight and had to undergo extensive medical procedures. Some of them have had to undergo amputations.

Several were just schoolboys when the coup occurred in 2021. Recently come of age, they've let go of their dreams to engage in combat against the junta.

"During the pullback we ran forward and I triggered a landmine. We were injured in the explosion. Then we were targeted by aircraft. The airstrikes make things very challenging for us," says one injured fighter. "Despite my injury, should I lose my life I'm happy to make the sacrifice so that those who follow have a improved existence."

The consequence of the brutality of the latest offensive is evident in every corner at the hospital.

Yet, it's the backing and courage of countless numbers of youngsters who picked up arms that have helped the rebels make significant gains against a much more powerful rival.

People including 80-year-old Ral Uk Thang hope that following the vote, the junta will pull back, and he will be able to go back home.

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