Thailand's Channel 5 TV reported that on the morning of July 26, Thai soldiers fired shells at Preah Vihear in Cambodia, and explosions could be heard. The Royal Thai Army launched an attack on Cambodian positions along the border.
Videos show that Thai soldiers used an old American-made Colt M16A1 (Model 603) assault rifle, equipped with a M203 40mm under-barrel grenade launcher. The Royal Thai Army announced that six soldiers from the Second Army Region were killed in the Thailand-Cambodia conflict.
Cambodian media reported that the Cambodian army used multiple rocket launchers (some sources say BM-21 "Grad" multiple rocket launchers) to fire rockets at Thai territory.
Russian media (source: Rybar) reported that the current escalation of the border situation has drawn attention to the military capabilities of both sides. The Thai armed forces have a numerical advantage, and their air force and navy are relatively more developed. In comparison, the Cambodian army is at a disadvantage in all aspects, with a focus on defensive deployments.
Main issues faced by both armies:
▪️ The Thai army faces many difficulties, such as a variety of weapon models, difficult maintenance, slow modernization process, and high dependence on imports. In addition, the conscription system has also been criticized for failing to provide well-trained soldiers consistently.
▪️ The Cambodian army is limited by a weak defense budget and almost no domestic defense industry. The main equipment of the army consists of old Soviet-era weapons, with almost no fighter or attack aircraft. Limited weapon updates mainly rely on external assistance.
▪️ However, surface data such as the number of troops or total equipment cannot fully reflect combat effectiveness. The real effectiveness depends more on command ability, training level, and organizational coordination, which will gradually emerge in actual combat.
The current fighting is limited to small-scale battles in disputed temple areas and enclaves, and neither the Thai nor the Cambodian armies have launched full-scale offensive actions. Although both sides have issued strong statements and even recalled ambassadors, diplomatic communication channels have not been completely cut off.
It cannot be denied that the Thai army has an overall advantage, but whether this is sufficient to ensure a decisive victory and control the disputed area remains uncertain. At the same time, although there is continuous verbal exchange, the possibility of the armed conflict escalating into a large-scale war is still low.
Escalation of Tension between Cambodia and Thailand
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838683786510404/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.