Thailand, Cambodia exchange heavy artillery fire as fighting rages for second day
Thailand's military reported clashes before dawn in Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces and said Cambodian forces had used artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket systems. Thai authorities said 100,000 people had been evacuated from conflict areas on their side of the border.
'Cambodian forces have conducted sustained bombardment utilizing heavy weapons, field artillery and BM-21 rocket systems,' the Thai military said in a statement.
'Thai forces have responded with appropriate supporting fire in accordance with the tactical situation.'
Both sides blamed each other for starting the conflict Thursday at a disputed border area, which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling across at least six locations 130 miles (209 kilometers) apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been contested for more than a century.
Reuters journalists in Thailand's Surin province reported hearing intermittent explosions on Friday, with armed Thai soldiers stationed at roads and gas stations throughout the largely agrarian region.
A Thai military convoy — including trucks, armored vehicles, and tanks — was seen moving across provincial roads toward the border.
The fighting erupted just hours after Thailand recalled its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelled Cambodia's envoy, following a Thai soldier losing a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleges was recently planted by Cambodian troops. Cambodia has dismissed the claim as baseless.
Thailand's health ministry said the death toll had risen to 15 by early Friday, including 14 civilians. Another 46 people were reported injured, among them 15 soldiers.
Cambodia's national government has not released official casualty figures or confirmed any evacuations. A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Meth Meas Pheakdey, spokesperson for Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey provincial administration, said one civilian had been killed and five others wounded. Around 1,500 families were evacuated from affected areas, he added.
Thailand deployed six F-16 fighter jets on Thursday in a rare combat operation. One of the jets reportedly struck a Cambodian military target — an act Cambodia condemned as 'reckless and brutal military aggression.'
Thailand's use of the F-16 underscores its military advantage over Cambodia, which lacks fighter aircraft and has significantly fewer defense resources and personnel, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The United States, a long-time treaty ally of Thailand, urged an 'immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, and a peaceful resolution.'
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said he had spoken with both Thai and Cambodian leaders and encouraged dialogue.
'I welcome the positive signals and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh to consider this path forward. Malaysia stands ready to assist and facilitate this process in the spirit of ASEAN unity and shared responsibility,' Anwar said in a social media post late Thursday.
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