‘Could develop into war': World leaders scrambling, thousands donate blood as hostilities erupt between rival nations
Authorities fear the conflict is quickly spiralling into full-scale war after shells killed more than a dozen civilians in the contested border region in Thailand's east.
Some 300 evacuation centres have been set up around Thailand, as about 120,000 people flee the border region for safety. Meanwhile in Cambodia, more than 20,000 people have been moved to shelter as threat of war escalates.
The clashes ignited on July 24 when Thai troops reportedly stepped on a landmine in the city of Ubon Ratchathani. Violence quickly spread along at least 12 locations on the contested frontier.
Thailand retaliated with Operation Yuttha Bodin, deploying Fâ€'16 fighter jets and artillery against Cambodian military sites near Preah Vihear, including Ta Muen Thom and Chong An Ma.
Cambodia fired back with BMâ€'21 rocket strikes, hitting civilian targets such as gas station in Thailand's Sisaket Province, causing multiple fatalities, including children.
Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has warned the situation could
'could develop into war', as the countries traded deadly strikes for a second day.
The public reaction was immediate, with Thai Red Cross centres collecting 1424 units of blood on the same day of the bombings, followed by 722 more by midday July 25.
Hospitals are now bracing for a potential surge in casualties, should the conflict spill over.
The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later on Friday, as several thousand locals to the border regions evacuate.
More than 138,000 people have been moved so far.
'We have tried to compromise as we are neighbours, but we have now instructed the Thai military to act immediately in case of urgency,' Mr Wechayachai said.
'If the situation escalates, it could develop into war, though for now, it remains limited to clashes.'
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose country currently holds the chair of regional bloc ASEAN, said he held talks with both countries leaders on Thursday and called for a ceasefire and dialogue.
'I welcome the positive signals and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh to consider this path forward,' he said in a Facebook post late on Thursday.
But despite Mr Ibrahim's optimism, fighting resumed in three areas about 4am on Friday, the Thai army said.
Cambodian forces carried out bombardments with heavy weapons, field artillery, and BM-21 rocket systems, the army said, and Thai troops responded 'with appropriate supporting fire'.
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 800km frontier.
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.
A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for over a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash.
Fighting on Thursday was focused on six locations, according to the Thai army, including around two ancient temples.
Ground troops backed up by tanks battled for control of territory, while Cambodia fired rockets and shells into Thailand and the Thais scrambled F-16 jets to hit military targets across the border.
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.
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