A woman victim of the BM-21 rocket attack in Sa Kaeo described the moment she fled for her life as a rocket struck her home while she was preparing food to distribute to officials and villagers sheltering in a bunker, condemning Cambodia for attacking civilians.
During the incident, Cambodian forces launched multiple BM-21 rockets into Thai territory in Sa Kaeo province, resulting in injuries to several innocent civilians on the evening of 22 Dec.
On 23 Dec 2025 GMT+7, reporters visited the area and spoke with Mrs. Phasinee Kongjak, 40, one of the injured. She was hit by shrapnel while assisting officials and villagers in her community. Mrs. Phasinee recounted that at the time, she had stepped out to cook food to distribute to officials and villagers sheltering in a bunker. The situation had seemed calm, so everyone thought it was safe. But just seconds after leaving the shelter, she heard the sound of a BM-21 rocket flying overhead, followed by a violent explosion near her home without warning.
"It was very loud; everything happened so fast. At that moment, I just thought I had to escape, but I was still worried about my grandmother who was still in the bathroom inside the house," Mrs. Phasinee said.
Mrs. Phasinee continued with a trembling voice that after the explosion subsided, she felt numbness in her arm and was unable to lift it. Still, she forced herself to run out of the house until she met a group of villagers who rushed to help. At that moment, she thought she would not survive.
Mr. Kittipong Chomphi, Mrs. Phasinee’s son, revealed that during the attack, he and his children had evacuated to a shelter center, while his mother remained in the village cooking for officials and the local security team because the situation seemed calm. Upon learning his mother was injured, he was shocked and very worried, so he hurried back to the scene.
"When I first saw my mother’s condition, I felt very bad, but the doctors have now said she is stable, so I feel relieved," Mr. Kittipong said. He also condemned Cambodia’s actions for continuously using heavy weapons against civilian areas, causing innocent people to be injured and live in fear.
Meanwhile, reporters also spoke with grandmother Jumjim Thepnok, another injured victim, who was hit by shrapnel in both legs. Early reports mistakenly said her legs were amputated, but medical examinations confirmed her legs were intact though the bones were shattered in both legs.
Grandmother Jumjim recounted that at the time of the incident, she was walking down the stairs to leave the house. She had nearly reached the bottom step when a loud explosion occurred. The blast’s shrapnel struck both her legs violently, exposing the bones. She said she was shocked and terrified, feeling helpless and thinking she might not survive.
However, she was fortunate that villagers and officials quickly came to assist her, allowing her to be transported to the hospital in time and survive the incident.
Currently, all the injured from the BM-21 rocket attack have been admitted to Somdej Phra Yuparaj Sa Kaeo Hospital, where doctors continue to closely monitor their conditions. Amid ongoing fear and uncertainty, local residents near the border remain anxious about the unstable security situation.