Thai jets target Cambodian forces after artillery fire at border

Thai Air Force F-16 fighter jets carried out strikes on a military facility belonging to the Cambodian Armed Forces in Pursat province, amid a sharp escalation of the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.

According to the Bangkok Post, the operation was conducted on December 20 and targeted a casino building that Cambodian forces had allegedly been using as a concentration point for troops. Thai authorities say the facility was part of Cambodia’s military infrastructure rather than a civilian site.

Thai officials stated that during the latest phase of the border escalation, Thailand has struck a total of four casinos located on Cambodian territory. In Bangkok’s assessment, these buildings had been converted into forward command centres used to coordinate combat operations, launch unmanned aerial vehicles, operate counter-drone systems, and direct artillery fire against Thai territory.

The current hostilities began on December 7, when clashes involving small arms broke out along the Cambodia–Thailand border. On December 8, Thailand’s ground forces reported that Cambodian troops had opened artillery fire on Thai positions in the border area. In response, the Thai Air Force launched retaliatory strikes against what it described as Cambodian military infrastructure.

Thailand’s Royal Army reported that 21 Thai soldiers have been killed since the fighting began. Cambodian authorities have not released official figures regarding their military losses. However, Thai officials claim that more than 200 Cambodian servicemen were killed during the clashes. Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, for its part, confirmed that 18 civilians have died as a result of the hostilities.

By Tamilla Hasanova