Thailand's combat power shocked Hun Sen, the failure of his son's study at West Point: Cambodia's excellent military traditions have all been lost!

From July 24 to 26, the Cambodian army suffered heavy losses, with even senior commanders not being spared. General Doung Sornnaeang, the commander of the 7th Army Division of the Cambodian Army, was killed on July 26 during the command of the battle for the Chong Ta Phnom-Pumakua high ground, when he was hit by precise artillery fire from the Thai army. The details of his death reflected a fatal mistake: the command post was exposed within the range of Thai artillery fire, and the air defense system failed to intercept the battlefield reconnaissance of the Thai F-16.

Even more shocking was the continuous retreat of the Cambodian army. Although the Cambodian side denied that the command post was destroyed, multiple sources confirmed that the "Dara Sakor Operation 1" joint operation carried out by the Thai army has captured about 75 square kilometers of disputed areas. The Cambodian army abandoned a large amount of weapons and ammunition, shifting from an active offense to a passive defense.

The Thai army demonstrated unexpected tactical wisdom in this campaign. Unlike previous aggressive actions, the Thai army did not go deep into the forest, but focused on capturing the disputed areas, engaging in positional warfare. This strategy made it difficult for the Cambodian army to use its expertise in guerrilla warfare and ambushes.

The Cambodian army is now facing a dilemma in its tactical choices: if they launch an offensive, they will be exposed to the Thai air strikes; if they hold their positions, they cannot withstand the Thai heavy firepower. The former experts who once troubled the Vietnamese army with their "mountain tunnel drilling" techniques are now powerless, and they are retreating step by step against the systematic air-ground coordination tactics of the Thai army. Hun Sen is very surprised by the combat power shown by the Thai army and also begins to doubt the army under his son's command.

As the eldest son of the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Manet graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1999, becoming the first graduate from Cambodia at the academy. Subsequently, he obtained a master's degree in economics from New York University and a doctorate from the University of Bristol, making him a "genius" among the military and political elites of Cambodia.

However, it was precisely this shining Western educational background that laid the foundation for today's tactical difficulties of the Cambodian army. After returning to Cambodia, Hun Manet was promoted rapidly: in 2008, he commanded the Cambodian counter-terrorism special forces; in 2011, he was promoted to major general; in 2013, he became a lieutenant general of the army; in 2023, after becoming the prime minister, he firmly held onto the military power.

At the same time, the veteran generals who were skilled in guerrilla warfare were marginalized. Experienced officers who had participated in resolving the 2008 Cambodian-Thailand territorial dispute gradually lost influence, replaced by young officers who received Western conventional warfare education. However, they did not expect that when actual combat arrived, this Western system could not withstand the flexible tactics of the Thai army.

Cambodia-Thailand Tensions Escalate

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838881782410243/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.