By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE THAI ARMY has decided to leave a mountainous terrain at the Thai-Cambodian border in Surin unoccupied for the time being in order to keep Thai troops from stepping on landmines randomly planted over there by Cambodian forces, army spokesperson Maj.Gen. Winthai Suvari said today (July 31).
Though the Cambodian forces had apparently withdrawn from intruded spots around Prasat Ta Khwai area in Panom Dongrak district of Surin, they would plant a number of landmines around the hillside area, making it extremely perilous for Thai army troops to get to it and occupy it, Maj.Gen. Winthai said. Located on top of the hill at the disputed border, the Thai troops could probably be hit by gunfire and rockets from the Cambodian side at any time, he said.
“Victory or defeat in fighting is by no means determined by occupation of a single, disputed spot,” the army spokesperson concluded.
Meanwhile, the Thai army has seized other high terrains along the border such as Prasat Ta Muen Thom area in Panom Dongrak district of Surin, Pumakhua area in Kantharalak district of Sisaket and Chong-arnma area in Nam Yuen district of Ubon Ratchathani where fighting had occurred since last Thursday and generally tapered off in the wake of a ceasefire though the Cambodian side may have intermittently violated it.
The Thai army planned to bring foreign military attaches from varied embassies in Bangkok on a tour tomorrow (Aug.1) to those disputed border areas in Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket and Surin after the Thai side has successfully repulsed the Cambodian intruders and secured them.
The world community has yet to see for themselves that the Cambodian forces had not only invaded the border lines into Thai territory but launched cross-border, inhumane attacks on civilian targets with BM-21 rockets from multiple rocket launchers including the ones which landed at a hospital and a convenience store in the premises of a gas station, killing a number of villagers and injuring many others.
Twelve Thai army soldiers and 14 Thai civilians were reportedly killed whilst many others were injured during the five-day clashes in those northeastern Thai provinces across the border from Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey in Cambodia in addition to fighting in the eastern Thai province of Trat across the border from Pursat in Cambodia.
Given Thailand’s air combat superiorities, Cambodia was largely believed to have far more fatalities and injuries. For instance, hundreds of Cambodian troops were reportedly killed due to air strikes conducted by the Thai air force’s F-16 Fighting Falcon and JAS 39 Gripen jets in addition to aerial bombardments of Cambodian army positions along the disputed border.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Army spokesperson Maj.Gen. Winthai Suvari, right, and Prasat Ta Khwai, left. Composite photo by Amarin TV
Front Page: Army spokesperson Maj.Gen. Winthai Suvari. Photo: Thai Rath
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