BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH – A significant escalation of hostilities has erupted along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, resulting in deadly clashes that have left at least 14 people dead, predominantly civilians, and numerous others wounded. The two Southeast Asian nations engaged in intense exchanges of small arms fire, artillery, and rockets on Thursday, with Thailand also launching airstrikes.
The fighting, which continued into Friday morning, represents a rare instance of military conflict between member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to Thai Defense Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri, clashes took place in at least six areas on Thursday, a day after a land mine explosion wounded five Thai soldiers and led to reciprocal expulsions of ambassadors by Bangkok and Phnom Penh.
On Friday, Gen. Khov Ly, Cambodia’s chief official in Oddar Meanchey province, reported that clashes resumed early in the morning near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple. Associated Press reporters near the border heard sounds of artillery from early hours. Gen. Khov Ly also confirmed that at least four Cambodian civilians were wounded in Thursday’s fighting in that area and that over 4,000 people have been displaced from their villages along the border to evacuation centers. This was the first official account of casualties from the Cambodian side.
The Public Health Ministry in Bangkok confirmed the deaths of 14 Thai people, including one soldier and 13 civilians, with 14 soldiers and 32 other civilians injured. Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin condemned what he described as attacks on civilians and a hospital, calling them violations of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. “We urge the Cambodian government to immediately halt these war criminal actions, and return to respecting the principles of peaceful coexistence,” he stated.
Thailand’s Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai reported that the fighting affected four provinces and ordered the Interior Ministry to evacuate people at least 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the border. In Cambodia, hundreds of villagers moved from border areas to about 30 kilometers (18 miles) deeper inside Oddar Meanchey province, seeking refuge in makeshift shelters.
Both Thailand and Cambodia have blamed each other for initiating the conflict and accused the other side of targeting civilians. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura warned that Thailand was “prepared to intensify our self-defense measures if Cambodia persists in its armed aggression and violations upon Thailand’s sovereignty.”
In Phnom Penh, Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata asserted that Cambodia deployed armed force out of necessity to “defend its territory against Thai threats,” insisting that Cambodian attacks were “focused on the military places, not on any other place.”
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has formally written to the U.N. Security Council, requesting an urgent meeting “to stop Thailand’s aggression.” The council has scheduled an emergency closed meeting for Friday afternoon in New York.
Thailand has also sealed all land border crossings and urged its citizens to leave Cambodia. All seven Thai airlines have reportedly expressed willingness to assist in repatriating Thai nationals.
The long-standing border dispute between the two neighbors has periodically flared up along their 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier. The current escalation follows weeks of heightened tensions since a skirmish in May killed a Cambodian soldier. Thursday’s clashes were noted for their unusual intensity and the use of heavy weaponry and airstrikes.
The initial clash on Thursday morning occurred near the Ta Muen Thom temple, bordering Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey. Both the Thai army and Cambodia’s Defense Ministry claimed the other side deployed drones before advancing and opening fire. Thailand reported responding with airstrikes, deploying F-16 fighter jets, in response to truck-mounted rockets launched by Cambodia.
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry stated that Thai jets dropped bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a historical flashpoint between the two countries. Cambodia’s Culture Ministry announced it would pursue justice under international law, citing the temple’s World Heritage status.
The diplomatic fallout began on Wednesday when Thailand recalled its ambassador from Cambodia and expelled Cambodia’s envoy, protesting a land mine blast that injured Thai soldiers. Thai authorities alleged the mines were newly laid and Russian-made, while Cambodia rejected these claims, attributing any unexploded ordnance to past conflicts. Cambodia responded by downgrading diplomatic relations and recalling all its embassy staff from Bangkok on Thursday.
The border dispute has also had repercussions in Thai domestic politics, with Acting Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra recently facing criticism and a temporary suspension from office over a phone call with Cambodia’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen aimed at de-escalating tensions.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged both sides “to exercise maximum restraint and address any issues through dialogue,” according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq.