Air Force deploys two F-16s to intercept Myanmar bombing plane Near Tak
Thai Air Force sends two F-16s to intercept Myanmar Yak-130 bomber near Tak, as bombings force 377 refugees to flee across the border.
The Royal Thai Air Force flew two F-16 MCU fighter jets to warn a Myanmar bombing plane not to intrude into Thai territory near Tak’s Prop Phra district on Wednesday afternoon.
After detecting a Myanmar Yak-130 aircraft flying near the border opposite Ban Moker Thai in Tambon Valley of Prop Phra, the two F-16 jets were immediately dispatched to send a stern warning to the bomber.
Security sources said the Yak-130 dropped four bombs on a base of the Karen National Liberation Army near the Thai border in Myawaddy. The bombed site was approximately one kilometre from the Thai border.
The attack prompted 377 Myanmar refugees to flee and stay in three temporary shelters in Thailand:
- Wat Moker Thai shelter: 318 refugees
- Wat Ban Muen Ruechai: 23 refugees
- Ban Muen Ruechai Church: 36 refugees
Troops from the Naresuan Taskforce were deployed to protect the border against intrusion by either rebels or Myanmar troops. The Thai troops also provided humanitarian assistance to Myanmar refugees as they crossed the border.
