Thailand-Cambodia violence: Thai military report more clashes; over 100,000 people flee, 14 dead

Mint

2 days ago

Clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops took place along their border for a second day early on Friday, with Cambodia using heavy weapons including artillery and rockets, Thailand's military said.
1. "Cambodian forces have conducted sustained bombardment utilising heavy weapons, field artillery, and BM-21 rocket systems," it said in a statement, as reported by Reuters, 'Thai forces have responded with appropriate supporting fire in accordance with the tactical situation.'
2. Bangkok reported on Friday that over 100,000 people have fled the most intense border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in ten years, as the death toll continues to climb and global powers call for an immediate ceasefire.
3. The longstanding territorial dispute escalated into heavy combat on Thursday, involving fighter jets, artillery, tanks, and ground forces. In response to the escalating crisis, the UN Security Council is scheduled to convene an emergency meeting later in the day. Cambodian soldiers reload the BM-21 multiple rocket launcher in Preah Vihear province on July 24, 2025. Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on July 24 as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing a civilian, in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbours. (Photo by AFP)
4. The Thai interior ministry said more than 100,000 people from four border provinces had been moved to nearly 300 temporary shelters, while the kingdom's health ministry announced that the death toll had risen to 14 -- 13 civilians and one soldier, AFP reported.
5. The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours -- both popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists -- over their shared 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier.
6. Dozens of kilometres in several areas are contested, and fighting broke out between 2008 and 2011, leaving at least 28 people dead and tens of thousands displaced.
7. Several areas spanning dozens of kilometres remain disputed, with clashes occurring between 2008 and 2011. These earlier confrontations resulted in at least 28 deaths and forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.
8. A 2013 UN court ruling had kept the border dispute largely in check for over a decade, but tensions flared again in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a fresh clash.
9. According to the Thai army, Thursday's fighting centred on six key locations, including areas near two ancient temples. Ground forces supported by tanks engaged in fierce battles for control, as Cambodia launched rockets and artillery into Thai territory, prompting Thailand to deploy F-16 fighter jets to strike military targets across the border.
Cambodian forces have conducted sustained bombardment utilising heavy weapons, field artillery, and BM-21 rocket systems.
10. Both sides blamed each other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket. Thursday's clashes came hours after Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own envoy after five members of a Thai military patrol were wounded by a landmine, as reported by AFP.
(With inputs from agencies)
Key Takeaways The conflict has resulted in over 100,000 people being displaced, indicating a significant humanitarian crisis.
Historical tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have flared up again, with recent clashes reminiscent of earlier conflicts.
International calls for a ceasefire highlight the global concern over escalating violence in the region.