A border standoff between Thailand and Cambodia has escalated into armed clashes that have left at least 12 people dead, mostly civilians, including two children aged eight and 15.
The two sides mutually accused each other of initiating the fighting, after which they reduced the level of diplomatic interaction on Wednesday. Thailand additionally closed all land crossings on the border with Cambodia.
Tensions between the Southeast Asian nations have risen sharply since a May incident in which a Cambodian soldier was killed. Rising nationalist sentiment on both sides has exacerbated the conflict.
The Thai army said the worst casualties were in Sisaket province, where six people were killed in a gas station attack. More than 20 people were injured in three border regions.
Thailand's military said it carried out airstrikes on Cambodian targets on Thursday, while Cambodia's Defense Ministry said the Thai air force bombed an area near the ancient temple of Preah Vihear.
Thai Defense Ministry spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said clashes were continuing in at least six border areas.
The first shootout on Thursday took place near the Ta Muen Thom temple complex at the junction of Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey.
Video footage from Thailand showed local residents taking refuge in bomb shelters during the blasts.
The Thai Foreign Ministry emphasized that Cambodian forces attacked both military and civilian targets, including medical facilities.
“The Thai government demands that Cambodia accept responsibility for what happened, stop attacks on civilian and military infrastructure and refrain from actions that infringe on the country's sovereignty,” said department spokesman Nikorndey Balancura.
“Thailand reserves the right to strengthen defensive measures in the event of continued armed provocations and violation of territorial integrity, guided by the norms of international law.”
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stressed his commitment to a peaceful settlement but added: “We have no choice but to meet force with force.”
Earlier, Cambodia announced it was downgrading diplomatic ties with Thailand, recalling its ambassador from Bangkok and expelling a Thai diplomat.
The moves came in response to similar actions taken by Thailand on Wednesday after five soldiers were killed by a mine.
According to the Thai version, the first clash began after a Cambodian drone was spotted and six soldiers approached the border post. Attempts to resolve the conflict peacefully were allegedly interrupted by shelling from the Cambodian side.
Cambodia, for its part, claims that Thai troops used the drone first and then violated the border, forcing the Cambodians to “defend territorial integrity in self-defense.”
The Thai embassy in Phnom Penh warned of the risk of escalation in the border area and advised citizens to leave Cambodia at the earliest opportunity, refraining from non-essential travel.
Five Thai soldiers, including one with an amputated leg, were injured in a blast near the border on Wednesday. A similar incident wounded three soldiers a week earlier.
Thai authorities said the Russian-made mines had been placed in previously safe areas, denying they were part of their arsenal.
Cambodia has rejected the claims as baseless, pointing to the presence of unexploded ordnance from past conflicts.
The border crisis has affected domestic politics in Thailand, where the prime minister has been suspended pending an investigation into ethical violations related to the conflict.
Territorial disputes, particularly around the ancient temple of Preah Vihear, have been a source of tension for decades. In 1962, the International Court of Justice upheld Cambodia's rights to the territory, a stumbling block in relations.
Following clashes in 2011 that claimed about 20 lives, Cambodia and
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
