By Thai Newsroom Reporters
A MINI-SQUADRON of the Thai air force’s JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets yesterday (July 25) flew their first sortie to join F-16 Fighting Falcon jets in crushing Cambodian forces around disputed border areas in a lower northeastern province of Thailand.
The Gripen jets, based at Wing 7 in Surat Thani, conducted an air strike with guided missiles and guided bombs against invading Cambodian troops around Takhwai area in Panom Dongrak district of Surin across the border from Oddar Meanchey in Cambodia, reportedly inflicting an undisclosed number of fatalities and injuries on the Cambodian side.
The Swedish-made Gripen jets returned safely to base in southern Thailand after their successful combat mission. It remains to be seen whether the Gripen jets will conduct another sortie at any given time to help the F-16s with their defence missions against the Cambodian forces along the disputed border.
In the meantime, the US-made F-16s, based at Wing 1 in Korat and Wing 4 in Takhli, bombarded the Cambodian forces around the disputed Tamuenthom area in the same district of Surin, reportedly inflicting as many as 100 fatalities on the intruders’ side. The Thai F-16s also precisely hit Cambodian forces in Pumakhua and Preah Vihear disputed areas in Kantharalak district of Sisaket following their sorties of bombardments on Cambodian ammunition depots and army installations in Cambodia such as those of the Cambodian army’s Eighth Army Brigade and Ninth Army Brigade with air-to-surface guided missiles and guided bombs on the first day of the border clashes on Thursday.
Thailand’s air combat superiority over Cambodia was believed to be a decisive force behind the border clashes which occurred for a third day today (July 26).
The Cambodian air force was reported to have a squadron of Soviet-made MiG-21 Fishbed fighter jets but the 66-year-old aircraft were not known to be operable or combat-ready due to lack of repair and maintenance.
The Cambodian army fired BM-21 rockets from multiple rocket launchers from Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear at Thai civilian targets such as a convenience store in a gas station in downtown Kantharalak district of Sisaket and a hospital in Panom Dongrak district of Surin, accounting for a dozen fatalities and many injuries.
The Thai army condemned the Cambodian random attacks with rockets and artillery shells on civilian positions in Thai territory as inhumane war crimes which evidently violated the internationally-recognised humanitarian principles.
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Top and Front Page: Thai air force Gripen fighter jets. Photos: Amarin TV
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