Cambodia’s CMAC Uncovers Nearly 2,000 Bombs Dropped by Thai Air Force in Oddar Meanchey

Cambodia’s CMAC Uncovers Nearly 2,000 Bombs Dropped by Thai Air Force in Oddar Meanchey

The Director General of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, Heng Ratana, says CMAC has discovered more than one thousand bomb remnants in Oddar Meanchey province. He says most appear to be munitions dropped by the Thai Air Force during a five-day cross-border bombardment from July 24 to July 28 2025.

In a post on his personal Facebook page, Heng Ratana said CMAC teams found 1,549 bombs and artillery shells in the province. He described them as remnants left after Thai military attacks.

Heng Ratana added that on Sunday, August 10, a delegation of 14 foreign military officers from nine countries visited Thmor Doun village in Kouk Mon commune, Banteay Ampil district. The group inspected the site where an MK-84 bomb landed on a Cambodian civilian home.

He said CMAC is continuing to investigate and locate additional bomb and shell remnants. The work includes marking and clearing unexploded ordnance of all types to ensure the safety of people living along the Cambodia-Thailand border. Heng Ratana urged residents to contact trained teams immediately if they suspect they have found unexploded munitions, to avoid potentially deadly incidents.

Previously, Thai Air Force spokesman Prapas Sornchaidee claimed that the MK-84 bomb, which hit the Cambodian home, was not dropped by Thai aircraft. He said it may have been a remnant left in Cambodia since the Indochina War.

However, Cambodian authorities maintain the MK-84 bomb was manufactured in 1996 and purchased by Thailand from Israel’s IMI company for use during border conflicts with Cambodia.

Amid the ongoing Cambodia-Thailand dispute, Preah Vihear deputy governor Kim Chanbanya said on August 10 that since the outbreak of cross-border shelling on July 24, more than 11,800 families in Preah Vihear province have fled their homes. That is close to 39,311 people, including over 20,900 women.