Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash: At least 14 people were killed and more than one lakh displaced as violent clashes erupted between Thai and Cambodian forces along their long-disputed border on Friday. The conflict, which has rapidly escalated in recent days, marks the most serious military confrontation between the Southeast Asian neighbours in over a decade.
According to reports, both sides engaged in intense exchanges involving small arms, artillery fire, and missile strikes. Fighter jets were kept on standby while infantry regiments were deployed in four border provinces.
On Thursday, Thailand launched F-16 airstrikes on six Cambodian military installations, responding to rocket shelling by Cambodia that hit several Thai border towns. Cambodia said Thursday’s fighting near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple left four civilians injured and displaced more than 4,000 people.
Border Crisis Deepens Amid Diplomatic Fallout
The ongoing conflict has triggered a sharp diplomatic downgrade. Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador and shut all land border crossings, prompting Cambodia to evacuate its embassy staff from Bangkok.
ALSO READ: 9 killed in Thailand-Cambodia border clashes; diplomatic rift rises
The immediate trigger for the clashes was a landmine blast that injured five Thai soldiers earlier this week. A similar explosion last month reportedly killed a Cambodian soldier. Clashes have since broken out in at least six separate areas, including near the Ta Muen Thom temple, which lies at the heart of the territorial dispute.
Footage from the Cambodian side showed civilians fleeing on foot, using homemade tractors to transport belongings to makeshift camps. Thai officials reported that a hospital in Surin province was hit during the attacks, an act Thailand’s Health Minister described as a potential “war crime.”
In a letter to the UN Security Council, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet urged urgent intervention to halt what he called “Thailand’s aggression.” A UN meeting on the crisis is expected on Friday.
At the centre of the territorial dispute are historic Hindu temple sites such as Ta Muen Thom and Preah Vihear, which have long been flashpoints in Thai-Cambodian relations.
