BANGKOK, Thailand – The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) deployed two F-16 fighter jets and two Gripens to launch precision airstrikes on Cambodian military positions near Phu Makhua, following intelligence that Cambodian forces were preparing to fire indirect weapons toward Thai territory in an effort to seize control of the contested area.
A second strike targeted Cambodian artillery positions near the Ta Muen Thom temple, where heavy weaponry and personnel had been deployed to fire indiscriminately across the border into Thailand. Both missions successfully neutralized their targets, and all aircraft returned safely to base.
According to sources, this mission marks a historic first combat operation for the Gripen fighter jets — used by several countries but never previously deployed in live combat. Until now, the Swedish-made aircraft had been limited to border patrol and airspace defense missions, such as those over the Baltic Sea under NATO operations, surveillance during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and air policing over Libya. (TNA)
