BANGKOK – Thai authorities have issued a strong condemnation of Cambodia following a rocket attack that struck a civilian community in Si Sa Ket province on Sunday, resulting in the death of a Thai national. The Royal Thai Army reported that Cambodian forces fired BM-21 multiple rocket launchers into tambon Sao Thong Chai in Kantharalak district shortly before noon.

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The barrage hit residential areas and the vicinity of schools. Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat confirmed the rockets impacted Ban Nong Mek village, where 63-year-old Don Patchapan was killed by shrapnel in front of Ban Nongmekphitthaya School. The attack also set one house ablaze and caused shrapnel damage to several other homes.

Thailand’s government said a rocket attack from Cambodia on Sunday killed a 63-year-old villager, its first civilian death reported as a direct result of combat over the past week along the border of the two Southeast Asian nations. https://t.co/2kXwDKopwx

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In an official statement, the Thai army condemned what it described as Cambodia’s repeated shelling of civilian areas for a second consecutive day. The army asserted the incident demonstrates Cambodia’s intent to violate human rights and international humanitarian law, causing severe harm to the lives and property of innocent people. Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat echoed this sentiment, calling the act brutal and inhumane.

This was not an accident. This was a deliberate attack on a civilian area by Cambodia.#TeamThailand #TruthFromThailand #CambodiaFiredFirst #PeaceBeginsWithTruth #ThailandSelfDefence #NBTWorld pic.twitter.com/hv66Zj7JvV

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He emphasized that the affected citizens and communities have no connection to military operations, stating that the deliberate targeting of civilian areas is intolerable under international principles. “This is an intention, not an accident as Cambodia frequently claimed,” Mr. Siripong said.

Cambodian rocket attack on Sisaket village injures civilians and damages homes

The Second Army Area Command issued an alert on Sunday evening based on intelligence indicating further potential launches of BM-21 rockets toward civilian areas near the border, advising local residents to seek shelter. The Thai government has pledged support for the affected communities while the diplomatic ramifications of the incident are addressed.

-Thailand News (TN)