Sisaket, Thailand – July 28th, 2025 – The Royal Thai Army has issued a strong condemnation of Cambodia following a BM-21 rocket attack that struck a civilian area in the Sao Thong Chai subdistrict on July 27th, 2025, resulting in one death and one injury.
The attack is part of escalating border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, which have intensified since July 24th, 2025, amid a decades-long dispute over territorial boundaries, particularly around the Ta Muen Thom and Preah Vihear temple areas.
According to Colonel Ritcha Suksuwanon, deputy spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, a BM-21 rocket, a Soviet-designed multiple rocket launcher system known for its 20–40 km range, was fired from Cambodian territory and landed in Sao Thong Chai subdistrict at approximately 5:00 PM on July 27th, 2025. The rocket caused significant damage to seven residential homes, killing a 59-year-old woman and injuring a 48-year-old man in the head. Both victims were volunteer village sentries assisting with border surveillance during the ongoing conflict.
Military personnel provided first aid and transported the injured to Sisaket Hospital for further treatment. The army condemned the attack as a deliberate targeting of civilians, labeling it a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
This incident follows earlier reports of Cambodian BM-21 rocket attacks on July 24th, 2025, which struck civilian areas, including a convenience store at a PTT gas station in Ban Phue, Kantharalak district, killing multiple people, including an eight-year-old boy, and injuring 13 others. The Thai military reported that these attacks targeted civilian infrastructure, such as homes, a hospital, and a supermarket, further escalating accusations of war crimes.
The current hostilities mark the worst fighting between Thailand and Cambodia in over 13 years, rooted in a long-standing dispute over an 817 km border, particularly around the Ta Muen Thom and Preah Vihear temples. Tensions flared after a May 2025 clash that killed a Cambodian soldier, followed by a landmine explosion on July 23rd, 2025, which injured five Thai soldiers, one losing a leg. Thailand accused Cambodia of planting the mines, a claim Cambodia rejected, stating the area still contains landmines from past conflicts.
On July 24th, 2025, clashes erupted at six locations along the border, including Ta Muen Thom, Ta Kwai Temple, and Chong An Ma, with both sides accusing the other of firing first. Cambodia allegedly launched BM-21 rockets from Khao Laem Hill, targeting Thai civilian areas, while Thailand responded with F-16 airstrikes on Cambodian military targets, destroying two command posts. The Thai military reported 14 civilian deaths, including children, and 36 injuries across Si Sa Ket, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, and Buriram provinces by July 27th, 2025.
Cambodia has not officially reported its casualty figures but condemned Thailand’s airstrikes, particularly near the UNESCO-listed Preah Vihear temple, as a “cultural disaster”.
The conflict has displaced over 130,000 civilians in Thailand, with evacuations ongoing in high-risk districts like Kantharalak and Kap Choeng. Cambodia reported evacuating 1,500 families from Oddar Meanchey province. Both nations have closed border checkpoints, recalled ambassadors, and downgraded diplomatic relations.
The timing of the conflict coincides with domestic political turmoil in Thailand, where Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faces suspension over a leaked diplomatic call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen, further inflaming nationalist sentiments.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
