Thai F-16 fighter jets on Saturday bombed a casino building that was reportedly being used by the Cambodian military near Thmor Da in Pursat province, across from Trat in Thailand.
The airstrike was part of an operation called “Trat Triumphs Over Adversaries”, which has been ongoing for 12 days along the contested border in the eastern seaside province.
Earlier in the day, two jets that took off from Trat dropped six bombs on the designated target in a mission that lasted about 20 minutes.
The Royal Thai Air Force reported that the mission successfully destroyed a Cambodian stronghold in Thmor Da in Veal Veng district.
The mission was launched after intelligence from the Trat Marine Task Force indicated Cambodian movements of military personnel and heavy weaponry in areas adjacent to the border.
The intelligence supported the assessment that Cambodia’s army is using casino compounds to amass forces, making air support necessary to suppress the threat to Thailand, military officials said.
A Cambodian media report said the Thai strike targeted “private commercial buildings and a primary school” in Thmor Da, but gave no other information on damage or casualties.
Despite the completion of the airstrike, clashes and mortar fire were reported to be continuing from Thmor Da.
Thai forces also said that Cambodian structures have encroached over the Trat border, necessitating military action. Surveillance will continue in the area to detect any further movements requiring a response, they said.
On Thursday, Thai fighter jets bombed a building in Poipet, a Cambodian casino town opposite Sa Kaeo province, destroying a “logistics centre” used to store rockets.
At least four casinos in Cambodia have been damaged by Thai strikes, the interior ministry said this week.
Thai security officials said on Friday that the casino buildings targeted were heavily reinforced and could not be collapsed by airstrikes alone.
The casinos had been converted into forward military command centres used to direct combat, launch drones, operate anti-drone systems and fire artillery and BM-21 rockets into Thailand, officials said.
Because of the buildings’ strengthened design, Thai forces used artillery to breach the side walls before F-16s struck the rooftops and dropped delayed-fuse bombs inside. Officials said the buildings remained standing externally but were destroyed internally.
Thai officials have not said whether any of the strikes resulted in casualties. Cambodia has not released any information on military deaths or injuries since the conflict began.
The border conflict that erupted anew this year stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre border and a smattering of ancient temple ruins situated on the frontier.
Each side has blamed the other for instigating the fresh fighting and traded accusations of attacks on civilians.
