Thailand has carried out air strikes on Cambodia, hitting two military targets on Thursday, as the countries’ border conflict intensified, with clashes reported in six locations.
Six F-16 fighter jets were deployed late Thursday morning from Ubon Ratchathani province, hitting two “Cambodian military targets on the ground”, the army said.
The air strikes came a few hours after Cambodian soldiers opened fire at a Thai military base in the northeastern province of Surin and launched rockets towards Si Sa Ket, according to the army.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry said preparations were under way to evacuate civilians as a precautionary measure in border areas of four provinces.
The hostilities began when Thai soldiers heard a Cambodian drone circling in front of the Ta Muen Thom temple ruins in Phanom Dong Rak district of Surin at 7.35am, the 2nd Army Region said.
Six Cambodian soldiers then approached a barbed-wire fence in front of the Thai military base, armed with weapons including rocket-propelled grenades.
Thai soldiers at the base shouted to urge their Cambodian counterparts to avoid escalating the conflict.
At 8.20am Cambodia opened fire toward the Moo Pa military base, about 200 metres east of the Ta Muen ruins, the 2nd Army Region said on its Facebook page.
The Cambodian forces set up artillery in nearby communities in a manner that used civilians as human shields, the Thai army alleged. Artillery fire was then directed at the temple ruins at 8.50am, it said.
At about 9.15am, Cambodian troops reportedly initiated gunfire, targeting the area near the Moo Pa base. One Thai soldier was injured as gunfire continued, with both small arms and heavy weaponry being deployed.
At 9.40am, Cambodia fired BM-21 rocket launchers at the Don Tuan temple ruins in Si Sa Ket province, Thailand said.
At 9.55am, Cambodian forces reportedly fired into a residential area near the border area development centre in Kap Choeng district of Surin. At least three civilians were reported injured. Authorities began evacuating civilians from the area.
The attacks came a day after a landmine explosion injured five Thai soldiers, one of whom lost a leg, near the Chong An Ma border crossing in Ubon Ratchathani province.
The Thai army said the mines were recently planted by Cambodia.
