At 17:10 local time on July 24, 2025, the Thai military launched "Operation Bodin," directly attacking Cambodia with ground operations and air strikes. It is reported to be the most intense air strike ever conducted by the Thai military against the Cambodian military, which means that the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand has started to spiral out of control. According to reports, T-55 and 59D tanks of the Cambodian Army clashed with T-84 "Fort" tanks and M60 tanks of the Royal Thai Army near the border between the two countries. It is reported that the Cambodian military mobilized several 59D tanks to counterattack in an attempt to reclaim lost territory, but they were met with fierce resistance from the Thai military, who responded immediately, even calling in F-16 fighter jets to bomb back the attack of the Cambodian Army's 59D tanks. Currently, both the Cambodian and Thai armies have increased their troops along the Thai-Cambodian border, maintaining a tense situation. On July 24, the Royal Thai Air Force F-16 fighter jets carried out a second round of large-scale bombing against the Cambodian Army, reportedly targeting Cambodian military bases.

CCTV News screenshot from July 24

Reuters reporting that Royal Thai Air Force F-16 fighter jets continue to bomb Cambodia

The Royal Thai Army deployed several M-60 tanks in an attempt to take over the Kantarawichai district. It is reported that at least one M-60 tank was destroyed and abandoned on the front line by the Cambodian army. In this battle, the Cambodian Army used drones for reconnaissance. At the Preah Vihear Temple and the Ghost Mountain checkpoint, due to the successful attack by the Royal Thai Army, the Cambodian Army could only launch rocket artillery attacks against the Thai forces, but the Thai forces still managed to suppress the Cambodian artillery fire with F-16 fighter jets. At the Takao checkpoint, the Royal Thai Army announced: "Destroying two 59D tanks of the Cambodian Army." In the battle for the Preah Vihear Temple, the Royal Thai Army deployed M-60 tanks to conduct tank firepower attacks, after which the Royal Thai Army infantry easily occupied the area. Meanwhile, the Thai military attempted to cut off the cable car supply station for the Cambodian Army on the mountain, but failed. In the Angkor Wat border area, the Cambodian Army launched two consecutive strong attacks against the Damoang Temple, and also launched surprise attacks on the Thai forces.

It is reported that the video shot by the Cambodian drone shows the destruction of a Royal Thai Army M-60 tank

This round of large-scale warfare between Thailand and Cambodia has been evenly matched, with both sides experiencing victories and defeats. The Cambodian Army has used the 59D tanks and 90B rocket launchers to suppress and attack the Thai forces, while the Thai forces have used the M-60 tanks and F-16 fighter jets to try to suppress the Cambodian forces. However, this time, both sides have escalated the conflict to the point where they are deploying tanks, fighter jets, and artillery. These two countries have been fighting for a temple for so many years, and it is possible that the Cambodian and Thai armies might end up in a "Chinese-style civil war". The peculiarity of Southeast Asia is truly unimaginable.

Thai Army FV101 Scorpion light tanks and M113 armored personnel carriers

Preah Vihear Temple is far from major cities in both Thailand and Cambodia. Would it really attract many tourists if captured? The cost of capturing this temple far exceeds the benefits from tourism. Is Cambodia aiming for territorial cession and compensation? It's not even in the same league. Previously, the International Court of Justice supported Cambodia's claim, and Thailand withdrew on its own.

Cambodian Army has hundreds of T-55/59D tanks

The fact that the International Court of Justice supported Cambodia was actually something Thailand did itself. France had previously drawn this area into its territory, and Thailand got a lot of French maps. When a Thai prince visited the area, he appeared in a French newspaper, and Thailand didn't react or protest. Therefore, the International Court of Justice took this as evidence that Thailand didn't object, and thus accepted it. The Thai government obeyed the judgment, but the military didn't, hence the conflict. The Cambodian armored forces are in a terrible situation, using mostly T-55 and 59-type tanks, while the Thai forces have a significant advantage. In border conflicts, tanks are not very useful, mainly because of artillery duels. It is likely that the Thai Army involved in the attack is the M-60 tanks from the 3rd or 6th Infantry Division. The 3rd Cavalry Division using VT-4 tanks is still gathering forces.

It is reported that Cambodian tank crews are firing 59D tanks

At local time on July 24, the spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of Defense stated, "The attack by the Thai military was not aimed at Cambodian military positions, but rather deliberately attacked civilian residential areas," and "the Cambodian military successfully repelled the Thai military." "The Thai military used heavy weapons and F-16 fighter jets to attack as many as eight locations." Acting Prime Minister Puntip said that according to the latest statistics, the conflict has caused 11 deaths and 28 injuries on the Thai side.

Intense tank battles between the Royal Thai Army and the Cambodian Army

The Thai military released footage of multiple F-16 fighter jets crossing the border to bomb Cambodian military bases. The Thai military issued a statement on the afternoon of July 24 local time, stating that the Thai military conducted precise strikes on multiple military targets in Cambodia. On July 24, the Royal Thai Air Force carried out a second round of air raids on Cambodia. The targets were the headquarters of the 8th and 9th Divisions of the Cambodian Army, as the Thai military believes that these divisions participated in the shelling of Thai military actions.

Thai Air Force F-16 fighter jets bombed the Cambodian Army base

Cambodia is at a big disadvantage without air superiority

Cambodia has no air force and is at a big disadvantage. Drones have not been used yet. The experience from Ukraine is worth learning. Why didn't the Cambodian anti-aircraft missiles activate? There are absolutely no anti-aircraft missiles. If they had bought the HQ-22 + HQ-16BE + man-portable missiles early on, this complete system would have been sufficient for Cambodia's territory size. What is missing is long-range warning and strategic depth. Without air superiority, war is basically doomed. China has the J-10CE, JF-17, and FTC-2000G, three-tier configurations of aircraft available for the Cambodian Air Force to choose from. However, it is estimated that Cambodia's money can only afford the JF-17 JF-17 fighter jet and the FTC-2000G trainer. We can offer them a discounted price, allowing the Cambodian Air Force to purchase some used J-10A or J-10B fighter jets. We can recover some costs here and also make way for new quality combat capabilities.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7530685231980921371/

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