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In the dead of night last month, a woman listened to explosions in a neighbouring village, then fighter jets soaring above. She hurried outside her home to see smoke rising far away.

"We were horrified. We thought the regime's jets might attack us too. So we grabbed what we could – some food and clothes and fled into the woodlands around our village."

She visibly shakes as she narrates the story of what transpired on 26 November in her community, found in Myanmar's western Chin State. She is one of thousands of civilians who've abandoned their homes in the past few weeks subsequent to the national armed forces initiated a fierce campaign of bombing runs, and a ground offensive in insurgent-controlled zones throughout the nation.

Residents of Chin state have labeled the junta's latest offensive as the fiercest it has unleashed in more than three years. Many of the displaced have looked for safety in different areas of the state. Iang is among a group that made the border crossing into India's Mizoram state. Currently sheltered in a decrepit badminton court in Vaphai, the group's few belongings they were able to carry are packed in sacks.

An elderly man has had to flee his home at the age of 80, residing in temporary huts in forests for days, prior to eventually finding refuge.

"We're afraid of our own government. They are extremely cruel. Their military has entered our and other villages in the past, they've arrested people, mistreated them, and burned down homes," he says.

It is challenging to speak to Burmese civilians openly. Myanmar's regime does not allow unfettered entry in the country for overseas correspondents. It took over the country in a coup in February 2021, soon after the last election.

Civilian Toll and Deliberate Attacks

As part of the newest operation, the junta recently struck a hospital in Rakhine State. Resistance organizations in Rakhine report at least 30 people were killed and more than 70 hurt.

An advocacy group states that since mid-September at least several educational institutions and a number of places of worship in Chin State have been attacked by regime air raids, claiming the lives of 12 people comprising six children.

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

Once again, a father and his young family – a wife and two young children - have been made homeless. In 2021, following the coup, their home was razed in an air strike. They reconstructed their existence in a new community. Now they're without a home once more.

"Words fail me to explain how agonizing and challenging it is and what a difficult decision it was to make to leave. But we had to do it to preserve our lives," he says.

A Questioned Vote

The National League for Democracy party, which won decisive victories in the two elections preceding the coup, will not be contesting as most of its senior leaders are detained.

"This vote is unwanted. Because the military does not know how to govern our country. They only work for the interest of their senior officers. When the elected administration was in power, we experienced a measure of democracy. But now all we do is grieve and lament," says Ral Uk Thang.

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

The election will take place in rounds, with a result projected around the end of January. Rebel groups have labeled it a farce.

Insurgent Battleground and Sacrifices

Within a compound of a leading insurgent force operating in the state, a leader 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 fiercest combat is taking place. "Units of hundreds of soldiers trying to advance into the northern part of Chin state from multiple fronts," he says. "The troops are being backed up by air strikes, artillery fire and by UAVs."

Entry to such bases is very limited. Located within dense jungle highlands, it is the core of the fight against the junta in Chin state.

Within a clinic at the base, a group of injured fighters were brought in overnight and had to undergo extensive medical procedures. Some of them have had to undergo surgeries.

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

"While opposing forces withdrew we ran forward and I triggered a landmine. We were injured in the explosion. Then we were attacked from the air. The airstrikes make things very hard for us," explains a combatant. "I've lost a leg, even if I've to give up my life I'm happy to make the sacrifice so that future generations have a brighter future."

The consequence of the ferocity of the ongoing operation is apparent in every corner at the hospital.

However, it's the determination and resolve of many thousands of youths who picked up arms that have helped the rebels make rapid advances against a better-equipped rival.

People including 80-year-old the elderly refugee hope that post-poll, the junta will withdraw, and he will be able to go back home.

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