BANGKOK – The Royal Thai Air Force destroyed the Chum Nea bridge in Cambodia’s Pursat province early Saturday, targeting a critical logistics route used for Cambodian military reinforcements near the border. The operation was carried out by two F-16 fighter jets following a request from the Thai navy.

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Captain Thammanoon Wanna, commander of the Trat Marine Task Force, stated that Thai forces had been monitoring Cambodian troop movements for several days near the Trat border. The jets circled the area before dropping bombs at approximately 6:00 a.m., 6:07 a.m., and 6:12 a.m., successfully damaging the bridge in the Thmor Da area. Initial reports indicated no immediate retaliation from Cambodian forces.

The airstrike coincided with ongoing ground clashes. Cherdsak Chumnaseo, chief of Thailand’s Khlong Yai border district, reported gunfire exchanges since 2 a.m. near a Cambodian military base in Koh Kong, prompting the evacuation of 50 to 60 residents from the Hat Lek area. Cambodian media reported that Thai forces fired over 20 rounds at a nearby village, leading to further evacuations in Koh Kong. The targeted Cambodian base is reportedly located near a casino and a power plant in the Koh Yor area.

🇹🇭🇰🇭🚨 #BREAKING: The Thai Air Force has destroyed a bridge along Route 55 in Pursat province, western Cambodia.

The bridge was a key supply route for Cambodian forces toward Thailand’s Trat region, where intense clashes are ongoing.#Thailand #Cambodia #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/V7MaEkceGT

— TheWarPolitics (@TheWarPolitics0) December 13, 2025

Officials noted that Thai nationals in Koh Kong were coordinating their return home on Saturday, suggesting that a full evacuation could precede a further escalation in fighting.

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The military action follows a diplomatic exchange on Friday. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated he informed former U.S. President Donald Trump that Cambodia had violated its peace declaration by attacking Thai civilians, forcing Thailand to defend itself. In response, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet reiterated on Facebook his commitment to a peaceful resolution and called for an investigation to determine which side initiated the current round of hostilities. Trump later claimed online that the two nations had agreed to a ceasefire, a statement not confirmed by either government amid the ongoing strikes.

-Thailand News (TN)