Thai Navy Joins Conflict Against Cambodia as Death Toll Jumps
The naval operation early on Saturday followed the incursion of Cambodian troops at three different points in Trat province in Thailand's east, the Thai Defense Ministry said in a statement. The Thai marine forces' counter-operation was able to push back Cambodian soldiers encroaching on Thai territory, it said.
'Thailand stands firm in defending its sovereignty,' the ministry said. 'Aggression will not be tolerated.'
The clashes in Trat followed two days of intense fighting that saw the two neighbors use fighter jets, rocket launchers and heavy artillery in multiple other border areas, forcing the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from the conflict zones.
Thailand has put the death toll on its side at 19, including six soldiers since the fighting erupted on Thursday, with more than 60 people injured. Cambodia has reported 13 deaths.
The deadliest clash between the two nations in more than a decade came as longstanding tensions erupted into a full-fledged conflict. Two Thai soldiers were maimed in landmine explosives and a Cambodian soldier was killed in border skirmish in May — the start of the current standoff.
Thailand and Cambodia have claimed they are operating only in self-defense, with Bangkok insisting on a cessation of Cambodian hostilities before a ceasefire.
The two countries share a long history of border tensions, though relations have remained largely stable since a deadly 2011 conflict that left dozens dead. The last major flare-up centered on the Preah Vihear temple, a longstanding flashpoint dating back to the French colonial era.
Much of the current dispute stems from maps drawn on differing interpretations of early 20th-century Franco-Siamese treaties, which defined the border between Thailand and Cambodia, then part of French Indochina.
Read: What's Behind Deadly Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash?: QuickTake
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
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