Thailand's F-16 Fighter Jet Bombs A Number Of Targets In Cambodia

JAKARTA - Thailand's F-16 fighter jet bombed a number of targets in Cambodia on Thursday, amid weeks of tensions as border disputes escalated to clashes.

Of the six F-16 fighter jets Thailand has prepared to deploy along the disputed border, one of which shot down Cambodia's military targets, the Thai military said. The two countries accused each other of starting the clashes on Thursday, July 24 in the morning.

"We have used air power against military targets as planned," Deputy spokesman for the Thai Army, Richa Suksuwanon, told reporters.

Thailand has also closed its border with Cambodia.

Cambodia's Ministry of Defense said fighter jets dropped two bombs on the road, and they strongly condemned the Myanmar Kingdom's reckless and brutal military aggression against the sovereignty and integrity of Cambodia's territory.

Clashes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodian envoys in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in a week lost his limbs due to landmine Bangkok allegedly installed recently in the disputed area.

Thailand's Foreign Ministry said Cambodian troops fired "heavy artillery" at a Thai military base on Thursday morning and also targeted civilian areas including a hospital, resulting in civilian casualties.

"The Thai government is ready to intensify our self-defense measures if Cambodia continues to carry out armed attacks and violations of Thailand's sovereignty," the ministry said in a statement.

Thais, including children and the elderly, ran to a shelter built from concrete and were reinforced by sandbags and car tires in the border province of Surin.

"How many bullets have been fired? Countless," an unidentified woman told Thailand's Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter while gunshots and explosions were heard occasionally in the background.

Cambodia's Foreign Ministry said Thai airstrikes were "unwarranted" and called on neighboring countries to withdraw their troops and refrain from further provocative measures that could exacerbate the situation.