By Devjyot Ghoshal
BANGKOK, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Thailand's airstrikes on Monday targeted Cambodian military facilities housing long-range artillery, after surveillance signalled that rockets, including a Chinese-made variant, could be used to hit civilian areas, a Thai military official said.
The Southeast Asian neighbours engaged in their worst fighting since a five-day clash in July, with both sides accusing each other of breaching a ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Premier
Anwar Ibrahim.
Based on the movement of weapons and their range, Thailand's military assessed that Cambodian forces could use Soviet-designed BM-21 and Chinese-made PHL-03 rockets to fire towards a provincial airport and a state-run district hospital, said defence ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri.
"Based on our intelligence as well, there have been attempts ... to lock on the coordinates of these facilities," Surasant told Reuters, without elaborating.
Thai intelligence indicated the airstrikes attacked military depots that included rocket storage facilities, he said.
Reuters could not independently verify the impact of Thai air force sorties.
A spokeswoman for Cambodia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to detailed questions from Reuters. The country has previously denied targeting civilian facilities.
The potential threat from the PHL-03s has previously not been reported.
SHORT-RANGE ROCKETS
Under the terms of the ceasefire, both sides in November began withdrawing heavy weapons from the border in three phases, starting with rocket systems, followed by artillery and then tanks and other armoured vehicles.
However, a week later, Thailand said it was halting implementation of the ceasefire pact after a landmine blast maimed a Thai soldier.
Cambodia's military, which is far outsized by the Thai armed forces, has around 48 BM-21s and only six PHL-03 multiple rocket launchers, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.
The PHL-03 can fire guided and unguided rockets with a range of between 70-130 km, according to a U.S. military database, while the BM-21 has a 15-40 km range.
The Buriram airport, a civilian facility that serves Buriram Province, a stronghold of Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's ruling party, stands at about 100 kilometres away from the border, beyond the reach of the BM-21's range.
The Prasat Hospital, located in the neighbouring Surin Province, is less than 30 km from the border.
In a statement on Monday, Thailand's air force said it had deployed its aircraft to hit military targets after Cambodia mobilised heavy weaponry and repositioned its combat units.
"These developments prompted the use of air power to deter and reduce Cambodia's military capabilities to the minimum level necessary to safeguard national security and protect civilians," it said.
During the July conflict, which killed at least 48 people and temporarily displaced an estimated 300,000, Thailand's military accused Cambodia of firing BM-21s into civilian areas and warned that the PHL-03 could also be deployed.
"This time around, the Cambodians are more prepared" for targeted strikes, Surasant said.
Thailand's military accused Cambodian troops of sparking the latest fighting by firing at Thai soldiers on Sunday, leaving two wounded.
Cambodia denied the charge, accusing the Thai military of launching a dawn attack on Monday.
(Reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Josh Smith and Saad Sayeed)
