BANGKOK – The Thai military has escalated its campaign against Cambodian forces, destroying a significant rocket arsenal near the Poipet border crossing and imposing a stringent naval blockade on oil and military supplies bound for Cambodia. The actions were detailed in a press briefing by defense officials on Thursday.

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Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, stated that Thai forces intercepted a Cambodian weapons buildup at a warehouse outside Poipet, opposite Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, at 11:15 a.m. This move followed intelligence indicating the transport of weapons to the area by Cambodian troops beginning Wednesday evening.

Air Marshal Jackkrit Thammavichai, spokesman for the Royal Thai Air Force, reported that the air force subsequently destroyed a logistics center used to stockpile BM-21 rockets outside Poipet. He stated that Cambodia had used these rockets to attack both Thai military positions and civilians. “Before the attack, the Thai armed forces conducted intelligence to confirm it was a military target. We observed trucks loading BM-21 rockets at the facility,” Air Marshal Jackkrit explained, asserting the attack was justified and that no civilians were present. He emphasized that Thai operations focus solely on military targets and are guided by national defense and humanitarian principles.

The strike was characterized as a direct response to Cambodia firing approximately 100 BM-21 rockets into Thai territory on Wednesday evening.

Cambodia is increasingly firing rockets and shells at Thai civilian areas along its border with Thailand and the Thai military has vowed to do its best to stop it.

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Concurrently, the Thai navy has intensified a maritime blockade. Navy Chief-of-Staff Admiral Thadawut Tadpitakkul announced that the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC) is blocking Thai vessels from entering waters off the eastern provinces of Chanthaburi and Trat to prevent the delivery of oil and warfare supplies to Cambodia. Control measures have been expanded to include coastal provinces from Chumphon to Rayong. Admiral Thadawut clarified that the measure targets only Thai-flagged vessels to degrade Cambodia’s military capabilities.

Thai-MECC spokesman Rear Admiral Jumpon Nakbua warned Thai vessels and fishing boats to avoid waters near Cambodia due to risks of indiscriminate attack, including drone strikes, as well as GPS jamming and spoofing that could cause navigational accidents.

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The conflict originates from a longstanding territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of the 800-kilometer shared border and several ancient temple ruins situated along the frontier. Deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maratee Nalita Andamo, confirmed on Thursday evening that all Thai nationals previously stranded in Poipet are now safe.

-Thailand News (TN)