297: Chapter 297 In the early morning, who is lying?

Captain Saw Win, the commander of the outpost, was vigilantly observing the opposite bank of the river through his night-vision goggles.

After the Thai Army's live-fire exercise during the day resulted in civilian casualties, things had seemingly quieted down on the surface, but radio activity in the jungle on the other side seemed to have become more frequent.

"Company Commander, drone patrol footage shows an abnormal gathering of heat sources on the edge of the jungle at the 3 o'clock position on the opposite bank; about a platoon's worth of troops are moving toward the riverbank," came the warning from the regimental intelligence officer over the headset.

"Received. All personnel, move to combat positions, maintain silence, and activate 'Swarm' sentry mode," Saw Win ordered in a low voice.

The two beehive-style launchers on top of the outpost opened quietly, and six palm-sized reconnaissance drones with silenced rotors rose into the air silently, gliding like night-flying bats toward the sky above the border line, aiming their sensors at the suspicious area.

However, the attack came from another direction.

1:17 AM.

Behind the side of "Nail-7" outpost, at the foot of a steep cliff that was considered a natural barrier, more than a dozen figures covered in mud and carrying only light weapons and demolition equipment suddenly emerged from the reeds on the riverbank.

They moved swiftly with coordinated precision, using the shadows of the cliff and the noise of the river as cover to quickly approach the barbed wire and sensor array on the perimeter of the outpost.

"Ssh, ssh—" a slight cutting sound rang out as special cutting tools quickly opened a gap in the barbed wire.

At the same time, an attacker used a portable electronic warfare device they were carrying to briefly interfere with the signal transmission of several vibration sensors on the outpost's perimeter.

But the "Swarm" network did not rely solely on fixed sensors.

An attack drone performing patrol duties in the nearby airspace had its AI pattern recognition system capture the abnormal movement trajectory and heat signatures inconsistent with the background the moment the attackers leaped out of the reeds.

The alarm was transmitted back to the outpost and the rear command post almost simultaneously.

"Enemy attack! From the cliff on the side and rear! Approximately twelve to fifteen people!" Saw Win's roar exploded over the outpost's internal communication channel.

But the attackers were extremely fast.

They had clearly undergone careful reconnaissance and drills, moving in pairs and using grappling hooks to quickly climb to a platform in the middle of the cliff, which happened to be a blind spot for the machine gun's field of fire on the side of the outpost.

Immediately after, gunfire tore through the silence of the night!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Suppressed assault rifles fired in bursts, precisely hitting the observation holes and firing positions on the side of the outpost, suppressing the internal firepower.

At the same time, two attackers quickly placed plastic explosives at the junction between the cliff and the outpost wall.

"Take cover!" Saw Win shouted before he could finish his sentence.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion shook the entire outpost, blowing a hole in the side wall and filling the air with smoke and dust.

The attackers stormed through the hole like cheetahs!

A close-quarters encounter erupted instantly in the narrow corridors and rooms of the outpost.

The roar of automatic rifles, the explosions of grenades, and the shouts and screams of soldiers were intertwined.

The attackers were well-trained, accurate in their shooting, and seemed to have some knowledge of the outpost's internal structure.

Although the Myanmar Army soldiers were caught off guard, they reacted quickly and resisted stubbornly, relying on cover.

The firefight lasted less than three minutes.

By the time the soldiers on the perimeter of the outpost returned from the front fortifications to reinforce, and another attack drone equipped with a machine gun pod arrived to provide covering fire at the bottom of the cliff, the attackers had already withdrawn as quickly as they had appeared.

They retreated along the same path back to the riverbank, leaped into the water, and quickly disappeared downstream in the dark river.

Inside the outpost, five bodies of fallen Myanmar Army soldiers were left behind, along with seven wounded, and the ground was littered with shell casings and bloodstains.

The attackers left behind two bodies, and judging by their clothing and equipment, they were wearing the Thai side's standard special operations uniforms and carrying their weapons; there were no markings on the bodies, but information such as weapon serial numbers had been recorded.

Almost at the same time the attack occurred, the News Division of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs suddenly held an emergency online press conference in the early hours of the morning.

The spokesperson, looking "indignant," declared: "The Myanmar Army illegally crossed the border, built a military outpost in our territory in the Moei River region, and conducted provocative shooting at our patrol team tonight. To safeguard our territorial integrity, our heroic Royal Thai Army was forced to take self-defense actions and removed this illegal outpost. We urge the Myanmar side to immediately stop all acts of aggression, withdraw from the illegally occupied territory, and apologize and provide compensation for the losses caused!"

A complete reversal of facts; the villain accusing the victim first.

The news spread rapidly through international media.

The US Ambassador to Thailand immediately forwarded the Thai statement on social media and commented: "We are closely monitoring the tensions in the Moei River region. We support our ally Thailand in its legitimate right to defend its territorial integrity. We call on the relevant parties to exercise restraint and avoid escalating the situation." It appeared neutral, but in reality, it was taking sides.

Bangkok, Government House.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin looked solemn as he listened to a joint report from Minister of Defense Prayut and Army Commander Apirat.

Srettha was a civilian, and he was deeply worried about the adventurous moves of the military hardliners, but the pressure from the military and the covert support from the international community (the US) left him in a difficult position.

"Mr. Prime Minister, the facts are clear: it was the Myanmar side that crossed the border and provoked us first. Our special forces merely carried out a necessary self-defense and clearing mission; the operation was clean and efficient," Commander Apirat said with a resounding tone, carrying the unique confidence of the military. "Now international public opinion is on our side. We should continue to apply pressure and demand that the Myanmar side apologize, pay compensation, and withdraw its troops. If they refuse, we do not rule out taking further measures to defend our national dignity and territorial integrity."

Prayut added from the side: "General Harris's visit and military aid have sent a clear signal. Zhang Cheng is riding high in the Middle East, but his front line is stretched too thin. Southeast Asia is his foundation; he dare not have a full-scale conflict with us here. This probe is just the right way to see his bottom line and reaction speed. Now it seems their border defense is nothing special."

Srettha rubbed his temples: "But... Zhang Cheng is no ordinary person. You have seen his methods in Gaza. What if he..."

"There is no 'what if'!" Apirat interrupted, his eyes sharp. "This is Southeast Asia, not the Middle East. Our army is familiar with every blade of grass and tree here. The support from the US is real. As long as we control the scale of the conflict and occupy the moral high ground, the one who will eventually compromise is Zhang Cheng. He needs a stable rear to manage his empire."

Srettha sighed and was about to say something when a secretary rushed into the meeting room in a panic, even forgetting to knock.

"Prime Minister! Minister! It's bad! Look at this!"

The tablet in the secretary's hand was directly connected to the official news channel of the Federation of Myanmar government.

A special "press conference" was currently underway.

The background of the screen was the briefing hall of the Ministry of Defense in Naypyidaw.

The spokesperson, dressed in military uniform, had a solemn expression.

On the big screen behind him, high-definition video was playing.

The first video showed the Thai Army's 12th Border Guard Regiment's live-fire exercise, with clear footage of artillery shell trajectories crossing the watershed and landing in Moei Village, causing houses to burn and civilians to fall; one could even hear the cries of the villagers and the artillery fire from the Thai Army's exercise.

The time and location coordinates were clearly marked.