Thailand and Cambodia today exchanged fire on their border in a sharp escalation of their conflict that left at least nine civilians dead.
Both nations accused each other of starting the military clashes and downgraded their diplomatic relations yesterday. Thailand also sealed all land border crossings with Cambodia.
Relations between the Southeast Asian neighbors have deteriorated sharply since an armed confrontation in May in which a Cambodian soldier died. Nationalist passions on both sides have further inflamed the situation.
Photo: AP
The Thai army said the most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a gas station. At least 14 people were injured in three border provinces.
The Thai army said that today it launched airstrikes on ground military targets in Cambodia, while the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense said that the Thai jets dropped bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
Clashes are ongoing in at least six areas along the border, Thai Ministry of Defense spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said.
The first clash this morning happened in an area near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple along the border of Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province.
Livestreamed footage from Thailand’s side showed people running from their homes and hiding in a concrete bunker as explosions sounded.
Cambodia has attacked both military and non-military sites in Thailand, including a hospital, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
“The Royal Thai Government calls upon Cambodia to take responsibility for the incidents that have occurred, cease attacks against civilian and military targets, and stop all actions that violate Thailand’s sovereignty. The Royal Thai Government is prepared to intensify our self-defense measures if Cambodia persists in its armed attack and violations upon Thailand’s sovereignty in accordance with international law and principles,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said that his country has always maintained a position of peaceful resolution, but “we have no choice but to respond with armed force against armed aggression.”
Earlier today, Cambodia said it was downgrading diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok.
That was in response to Thailand withdrawing its ambassador and yesterday expelling the Cambodian ambassador to protest a land mine blast that wounded five Thai soldiers.
The Thai army said of today's initial clash that its forces heard an uncrewed aerial vehicle before seeing six armed Cambodian soldiers moving closer to Thailand’s station.
Thai soldiers tried to shout at them to defuse the situation, but the Cambodian side started to open fire, it said.
Thailand employed a drone first before opening fire, and Cambodia “acted strictly within the bounds of self-defense, responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity,” the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense said.
The Thai embassy in Phnom Penh wrote on Facebook that there were clashes at several border areas that could continue to escalate.
Thai nationals in Cambodia should leave the country if they could, while others should not travel to Cambodia unless absolutely necessary, it said.
Yesterday, land mine blast near the border wounded five Thai soldiers, one of whom lost a leg. A week earlier, a land mine in a different contested area exploded and wounded three Thai soldiers when one of them stepped on it and lost a foot.
Thai authorities have alleged the mines were newly laid along paths that by mutual agreement were supposed to be safe.
The mines were Russian-made and not of a type employed by Thailand’s military, they said.
Cambodia rejected Thailand’s account as “baseless accusations,” pointing out that many unexploded mines and other ordnance are a legacy of 20th century wars and unrest.
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