Thai F-16s destroy Cambodian BM-21 rocket depot as deputy defence minister visits wounded troops

The Second Army Area has released footage of Royal Thai Air Force F-16s carrying out a precision air strike on a Cambodian BM-21 rocket depot in Oddar Meanchey province, as fighting along the Thai–Cambodian border intensifies.

On December 9, 2025, the Second Army said Thai F-16 fighter jets had conducted an air operation using GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs against a Cambodian military site identified as a storage facility for BM-21 multiple rocket launchers and other heavy weapons.

The strike, which targeted a location in central Samraong, Oddar Meanchey, triggered a series of powerful secondary explosions, indicating destruction of ammunition and rocket stocks belonging to Cambodian forces.

Meanwhile, Deputy Defence Minister Lt Gen Adul Boonthamcharoen travelled to Prasat Hospital in Surin province on December 9 to visit soldiers wounded in the border clashes and to thank medical staff working under intense pressure.

He was briefed on the condition of wounded personnel evacuated from frontline areas along the Thai–Cambodian frontier and expressed appreciation for the combined efforts of medical teams.

Care for the injured has been coordinated between Prasat Hospital, its operating theatre, military doctors from 2nd Army Support Command, Suranaree camp hospital and medical staff from several agencies, who began treatment immediately after the wounded were moved out of combat zones.

Wounded personnel at Prasat Hospital include:

• Case 1 (green triage): Sergeant Somkiat Kalaphan, 29, 6th Engineer Battalion – suffered a blast injury, with suspected foreign body in the left eye. His overall condition is stable and his morale is reported as good.
• Case 2 (green triage): Private Theerapat Promyen, 21, Cavalry Regiment 5, 20th Battalion – has foreign objects lodged in his right arm, right hip and left knee. His condition is stable and he reiterated that he is “ready to return to duty once recovered”.
• Case 3 (yellow triage): Volunteer Ranger Narongrit Sawaengsak, 26th Ranger Regiment – sustained open fractures to the fingertips of both hands, torn tendon in the right finger and additional wounds to the left arm. Doctors are monitoring him closely and his condition is currently stable.

Prasat Hospital director Doctor Chuhong said that as the deputy defence minister arrived, additional patients suffering blast pressure injuries from BM-21 rockets were brought in, and emergency protocols were activated immediately to stabilise them.

Lt Gen Adul offered words of encouragement to every wounded soldier and praised their courage and determination.

“Every soldier who serves to defend our country will not be abandoned,” he said. “The government, the Defence Ministry and the armed forces will do everything possible to look after them, both in terms of medical treatment and welfare.”

He added that all the injured soldiers remained in good spirits and reaffirmed their commitment to continue serving in defence of Thailand’s sovereignty once they recover.