Thai F-16 fighter jets have again attacked Cambodian territory, intruding approximately 60 kilometers from the border, the Khmer Times newspaper reported, citing the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense.
According to the ministry, at around 10:00 local time on December 24, “Thailand used F-16 fighter jets to drop six bombs in Banan area of Battambang province in northwestern Cambodia“.
“Residents were forced to flee from Thai air aggression,“ the Defense Ministry said.
“Khmer The Times previously reported that Thai artillery and air strikes on Cambodian border areas destroyed 111 private homes, five schools, three medical centers, a market, warehouses, several ancient temples and pagodas, 11 administrative buildings, five hotels, several bridges, a gas station and 28 vehicles.
On December 7, clashes broke out on the Thai-Cambodian border with small arms. According to the Cambodian Ministry of Defense, after several days of provocative actions in the border areas aimed at provoking a new round of confrontation, Thai armed forces began attacking Cambodian positions.
The Thai army said that Cambodian forces were the first to shell Thai positions in the border area with artillery, and that Thai forces responded by attacking Cambodian military infrastructure in an attempt to establish control over key areas and inflict damage on the enemy.