Suspicious air attacks by Thai jets, but temples still under control of Cambodian troops

Many homes were destroyed by Thai shells, with shrapnels and scrap metals left by the exploded bombs seen here in the photo.

By Khmerization
Source: Koh Santepheap and CEN

Sources from the war zone said that at 2 p.m yesterday they saw two Thai fighter jets flying over Cambodian frontline positions at Ta Krabey and Ta Moan temples and heard about 6-8 explosions coming from the planes. People said the explosions are the sounds of Thai jets firing missiles on the Cambodian positions, while Cambodian air force experts said they are the sounds of the planes taking aerial photos of the Cambodian military positions.

CEN reported that last night, Thai troops started shelling Cambodian positions and territory from 8 p.m until 4 a.m in the morning as well as firing many fireballs into the air to pinpoint Cambodian positions. It quoted Cambodian military sources as saying that the shelling did not cause any casualties. It reported that Cambodian military said that during the fighting at Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples from 6-8 p.m last night, Cambodian troops have killed 3 Thai soldiers and wounded many more. It said that Cambodian troops had shown the utmost restraint by not firing any rockets back.

The spokesman for the Cambodian of Ministry of Defence, Gen. Chhum Socheat, said that despite heavy attacks from Thai troops, Ta Krabey and Ta Moan Thom temples are still under the control of Cambodian troops.

The Cambodian Ministry of Defence issued a statement on 24th April saying that in the first three days of fighting, Thai troops had fired 1,000 artillery rockets at Cambodian military installations, Ta Krabey and Ta Moan Thom temples and villages, reaching as far as 20km deep inside Cambodia, caused more than 23,000 villages to flee their homes.