Air force jets strike Poipet

Cambodia slams Thai military action

- POST REPORTERS

A Royal Thai Air Force F-16 fighter jet carries out an air mission targeting what was claimed to be a Cambodian military base in Poipet's Zone 5, striking facilities identified as a hub for scam networks and an arms depot. The First Army Area said Cambodian forces had been massing troops and weapons in the area, posing a threat to Thailand's security and sovereignty.

The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has stepped up air operations along the Thai-Cambodian border, insisting the response is defensive and proportionate.

The RTAF confirmed that it had carried out air strikes using F-16 fighter jets to hit military targets outside the city of Poipet in Cambodia, after detecting the movement of heavy weapons in the area, particularly BM-21 multiple rocket launchers that have been repeatedly used in attacks on Thai territory.

AM Chakkrit Thammavichai, spokesman for the RTAF, said yesterday that the operation took place earlier in the day at around 11am. The targets were an arms depot and logistics centre that were used to store BM-21 rockets, which Cambodian forces had previously employed in attacks against both Thai military units and civilian areas.