CMAC Chief Rebuts Thai Media Claims Over MK-84 Bomb Evidence

Terry Felix On June 26, 2026 - 3:12 pm In Asia Pacific 2mn Read

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PHNOM PENH, June 26, 2026 — Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) Director-General Heng Ratana has rejected claims by several Thai media outlets disputing the origin of MK-84 aerial bombs displayed by Cambodia, saying the reports distort facts and ignore physical evidence.

In a statement released on Thursday, Heng Ratana said the response came after Thai media challenged his earlier post showing remnants of MK-84 bombs, which he said were dropped by Thai F-16 fighter jets during cross-border military operations. He said Cambodian and international journalists, as well as members of the public, had requested further clarification.

Addressing Thai reports that all bombs dropped by Thai aircraft had exploded, Heng Ratana argued the claim amounted to an acknowledgement that Thai forces had used aerial bombs inside Cambodian territory. He added that all aerial bombs and munitions have a recognised failure, or dud, rate, and noted that unexploded cluster munitions previously fired into Cambodia have continued to be discovered and cleared by CMAC.

He also rejected suggestions that the recovered MK-84 bombs dated back to US bombing campaigns during the Vietnam War. According to Heng Ratana, every aerial bomb carries identifiable manufacturing information, including production codes, lot numbers and country of origin. He said the two recovered MK-84 bombs bear the identification code 30003-923AS105 and lot number IMI96G015-011, indicating they were manufactured by Israel Military Industries in 1996.

“Based on this evidence, how could bombs manufactured in 1996 have been used during US bombing operations in Cambodia between 1962 and 1975?” he said.

Responding to claims that the bombs could not be independently verified, Heng Ratana said verification can be conducted through physical examination of bomb components, impact craters, witness testimony and flight records. He noted that the United States has previously provided Cambodia with bombing data from the Vietnam War to support humanitarian unexploded ordnance clearance operations.

According to Heng Ratana, CMAC has compared its findings against the US database and confirmed that the locations where the MK-84 bombs were recovered do not appear in the historical US bombing records.

He said all MK-84 bombs, cluster munitions and other unexploded ordnance recovered by CMAC are fully documented with precise locations, identification details and technical records, making them available for examination by national and international experts.

Heng Ratana added that some of the recovered munitions will be preserved as historical artefacts to document the consequences of war and promote a culture of peace.