BANGKOK: Thai army says Cambodia briefly retook Ban Khlong Phaeng and pulled down the Thai flag as fierce Sa Kaeo clashes continue, claiming 165 enemy dead and no civilian casualties
At 10am on Friday (Dec 12), the Joint Press Centre on the Thailand–Cambodia Border Situation reported that fighting remains intense in Sa Kaeo, with Cambodian forces briefly retaking Ban Khlong Phaeng in Ta Phraya district and pulling down the Thai flag, while Thai troops continue their push in other key sectors.
Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Surasan Kongsiri told a briefing at Army TV headquarters that Cambodian forces were still mounting heavy attacks against Thai positions, “especially in Sa Kaeo”, forcing Thailand to respond to “defend the integrity of our territory and sovereignty”.
He said Thai forces had maintained their operational posture through the night, and that on Thursday morning the Royal Thai Navy launched an operation targeting a Cambodian command centre believed to be directing incursions into Thai territory.
Army deputy spokesman Colonel Ritcha Suksuwansaid Thai troops had secured Ban Nong Ya Kaeo in Khok Sung district “completely”, but acknowledged a setback at Ban Khlong Phaeng in Ta Phraya district, where Thai soldiers had earlier been filmed raising the national flag.
According to Ritcha, Cambodian forces responded with heavy fire, including BM-21 multiple rocket launchers, wounding Thai soldiers and making it impossible to hold the position.
“We assessed that the area could not be safely occupied, so our forces redeployed. That allowed Cambodian troops to take down the Thai flag,” he said, adding that the location “remains within the area Thailand aims to bring back under control”.
He added that Thai forces were still holding or contesting several key zones, including:
Chong An Ma in Ubon Ratchathani – under partial Thai control
Khana in Surin – where Thai troops have taken some objectives but face counterattacks
Prasat Ta Kwai in Phanom Dong Rak district, Buri Ram – where Thai artillery has destroyed many Cambodian firing positions and bases around the sanctuary and Hill 350, but ground forces have yet to secure full control due to difficult terrain and intense resistance from artillery, drones and dense minefields.
On overall Cambodian losses, the Army’s estimate for operations under the 1st and 2nd Army Areas is:
- 9 armoured vehicles and tanks destroyed
- 68 drones destroyed
- 1 anti-drone system destroyed
- 1 BM-21 launcher destroyed
- at least 165 Cambodian soldiers killed
Thai officials reiterated that, according to their information, no civilians have been harmed on the Thai side of the border, saying operations remain focused strictly on military targets. - The Nation/ANN
