Death toll rises to 31 in Bangladesh air force crash
The aircraft crashed soon after it took off from an airbase in the capital on a routine training mission. The military said the plane experienced a mechanical failure.
Included in the toll were at least 25 students, a teacher who died from burn injuries she sustained while helping others get out of the burning building and the pilot of the training aircraft.
Bangladesh declared Tuesday a day of national mourning, with the flags flying at half-mast across the country.
The jet, a F-7 BGI, is the final and most advanced variant in China's Chengdu J-7/F-7 aircraft family, according to Jane's Information Group. Bangladesh signed a contract for 16 aircraft in 2011 and deliveries were completed by 2013.
Several hundred pupils demonstrated near the crash site on Tuesday, demanding a thorough investigation and an accurate death count.
The demonstration began as two senior advisers from the interim administration arrived at the scene.
The protesters chanted slogans such as "We want justice" and "Why did our brothers die? We demand answers!" effectively trapping the advisers and several senior officials inside the school building.
In a video message, Bangladesh's interim leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus promised an investigation into the accident.
"We will definitely investigate this incident, but these innocent children will never come back," he said.
"They are all our children, and they are gone forever. We are ensuring treatment for the injured, and everyone is making every effort for them," he added.
He expressed sympathy for the parents, relatives and friends of the deceased, saying: "To say we are shocked would be an understatement. The scars of this accident have not yet healed."
The crash comes weeks after an Air India plane crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad in neighbouring India, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
with DPA and AP
At least 31 people have been killed after a Bangladesh air force training jet crashed into a college and school campus in Dhaka, officials say, with 88 people, including children, being treated in hospital.
The aircraft crashed soon after it took off from an airbase in the capital on a routine training mission. The military said the plane experienced a mechanical failure.
Included in the toll were at least 25 students, a teacher who died from burn injuries she sustained while helping others get out of the burning building and the pilot of the training aircraft.
Bangladesh declared Tuesday a day of national mourning, with the flags flying at half-mast across the country.
The jet, a F-7 BGI, is the final and most advanced variant in China's Chengdu J-7/F-7 aircraft family, according to Jane's Information Group. Bangladesh signed a contract for 16 aircraft in 2011 and deliveries were completed by 2013.
Several hundred pupils demonstrated near the crash site on Tuesday, demanding a thorough investigation and an accurate death count.
The demonstration began as two senior advisers from the interim administration arrived at the scene.
The protesters chanted slogans such as "We want justice" and "Why did our brothers die? We demand answers!" effectively trapping the advisers and several senior officials inside the school building.
In a video message, Bangladesh's interim leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus promised an investigation into the accident.
"We will definitely investigate this incident, but these innocent children will never come back," he said.
"They are all our children, and they are gone forever. We are ensuring treatment for the injured, and everyone is making every effort for them," he added.
He expressed sympathy for the parents, relatives and friends of the deceased, saying: "To say we are shocked would be an understatement. The scars of this accident have not yet healed."
The crash comes weeks after an Air India plane crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad in neighbouring India, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
with DPA and AP
At least 31 people have been killed after a Bangladesh air force training jet crashed into a college and school campus in Dhaka, officials say, with 88 people, including children, being treated in hospital.
The aircraft crashed soon after it took off from an airbase in the capital on a routine training mission. The military said the plane experienced a mechanical failure.
Included in the toll were at least 25 students, a teacher who died from burn injuries she sustained while helping others get out of the burning building and the pilot of the training aircraft.
Bangladesh declared Tuesday a day of national mourning, with the flags flying at half-mast across the country.
The jet, a F-7 BGI, is the final and most advanced variant in China's Chengdu J-7/F-7 aircraft family, according to Jane's Information Group. Bangladesh signed a contract for 16 aircraft in 2011 and deliveries were completed by 2013.
Several hundred pupils demonstrated near the crash site on Tuesday, demanding a thorough investigation and an accurate death count.
The demonstration began as two senior advisers from the interim administration arrived at the scene.
The protesters chanted slogans such as "We want justice" and "Why did our brothers die? We demand answers!" effectively trapping the advisers and several senior officials inside the school building.
In a video message, Bangladesh's interim leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus promised an investigation into the accident.
"We will definitely investigate this incident, but these innocent children will never come back," he said.
"They are all our children, and they are gone forever. We are ensuring treatment for the injured, and everyone is making every effort for them," he added.
He expressed sympathy for the parents, relatives and friends of the deceased, saying: "To say we are shocked would be an understatement. The scars of this accident have not yet healed."
The crash comes weeks after an Air India plane crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad in neighbouring India, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
with DPA and AP
At least 31 people have been killed after a Bangladesh air force training jet crashed into a college and school campus in Dhaka, officials say, with 88 people, including children, being treated in hospital.
The aircraft crashed soon after it took off from an airbase in the capital on a routine training mission. The military said the plane experienced a mechanical failure.
Included in the toll were at least 25 students, a teacher who died from burn injuries she sustained while helping others get out of the burning building and the pilot of the training aircraft.
Bangladesh declared Tuesday a day of national mourning, with the flags flying at half-mast across the country.
The jet, a F-7 BGI, is the final and most advanced variant in China's Chengdu J-7/F-7 aircraft family, according to Jane's Information Group. Bangladesh signed a contract for 16 aircraft in 2011 and deliveries were completed by 2013.
Several hundred pupils demonstrated near the crash site on Tuesday, demanding a thorough investigation and an accurate death count.
The demonstration began as two senior advisers from the interim administration arrived at the scene.
The protesters chanted slogans such as "We want justice" and "Why did our brothers die? We demand answers!" effectively trapping the advisers and several senior officials inside the school building.
In a video message, Bangladesh's interim leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus promised an investigation into the accident.
"We will definitely investigate this incident, but these innocent children will never come back," he said.
"They are all our children, and they are gone forever. We are ensuring treatment for the injured, and everyone is making every effort for them," he added.
He expressed sympathy for the parents, relatives and friends of the deceased, saying: "To say we are shocked would be an understatement. The scars of this accident have not yet healed."
The crash comes weeks after an Air India plane crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad in neighbouring India, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
with DPA and AP
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Twelve dead as Thai, Cambodian troops clash at border
At least 12 people are dead after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire in a sharp escalation of their conflict over a disputed border area. Thailand's health minister said 11 civilians, including a child, and one soldier were killed in artillery shelling by Cambodian forces while 24 civilians and seven military personnel were wounded. Most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a petrol station, the Thai army said. There was no immediate word of casualties in Cambodia. Earlier a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, destroying a military target. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand also closed its border with Cambodia. Cambodia's defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension. The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area. Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," a woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background. Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes. The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360km from the Thai capital Bangkok. "Artillery shell fell on people's homes," Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side. Thailand's military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple. A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate. "We have to be careful," he told reporters. "We will follow international law." Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice recognised Cambodian sovereignty over the temple area in a ruling that became a major irritant in the relations of both countries. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011 after military clashes killed about 20 people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013. with AP At least 12 people are dead after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire in a sharp escalation of their conflict over a disputed border area. Thailand's health minister said 11 civilians, including a child, and one soldier were killed in artillery shelling by Cambodian forces while 24 civilians and seven military personnel were wounded. Most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a petrol station, the Thai army said. There was no immediate word of casualties in Cambodia. Earlier a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, destroying a military target. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand also closed its border with Cambodia. Cambodia's defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension. The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area. Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," a woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background. Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes. The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360km from the Thai capital Bangkok. "Artillery shell fell on people's homes," Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side. Thailand's military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple. A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate. "We have to be careful," he told reporters. "We will follow international law." Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice recognised Cambodian sovereignty over the temple area in a ruling that became a major irritant in the relations of both countries. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011 after military clashes killed about 20 people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013. with AP At least 12 people are dead after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire in a sharp escalation of their conflict over a disputed border area. Thailand's health minister said 11 civilians, including a child, and one soldier were killed in artillery shelling by Cambodian forces while 24 civilians and seven military personnel were wounded. Most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a petrol station, the Thai army said. There was no immediate word of casualties in Cambodia. Earlier a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, destroying a military target. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand also closed its border with Cambodia. Cambodia's defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension. The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area. Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," a woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background. Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes. The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360km from the Thai capital Bangkok. "Artillery shell fell on people's homes," Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side. Thailand's military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple. A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate. "We have to be careful," he told reporters. "We will follow international law." Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice recognised Cambodian sovereignty over the temple area in a ruling that became a major irritant in the relations of both countries. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011 after military clashes killed about 20 people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013. with AP At least 12 people are dead after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire in a sharp escalation of their conflict over a disputed border area. Thailand's health minister said 11 civilians, including a child, and one soldier were killed in artillery shelling by Cambodian forces while 24 civilians and seven military personnel were wounded. Most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a petrol station, the Thai army said. There was no immediate word of casualties in Cambodia. Earlier a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, destroying a military target. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand also closed its border with Cambodia. Cambodia's defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension. The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area. Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," a woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background. Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes. The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360km from the Thai capital Bangkok. "Artillery shell fell on people's homes," Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side. Thailand's military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple. A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate. "We have to be careful," he told reporters. "We will follow international law." Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice recognised Cambodian sovereignty over the temple area in a ruling that became a major irritant in the relations of both countries. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011 after military clashes killed about 20 people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013. with AP
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Weeks of tensions erupt across Thailand-Cambodia border as at least nine people killed in clashes
At least nine civilians have been killed, including a child, following a dramatic escalation of tensions on the on the disputed Thailand-Cambodia border. Thailand and Cambodia have both said a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets on the Cambodia side of the border on Thursday, and both sides have accused each other of igniting a clash, Reuters has reported. The Thai army has said one of six fighter jets readied to deploy along the border fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target. Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon has told reporters the military used 'air power against military targets as planned'. Meanwhile, Cambodia's defence ministry has said it "strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression' from Thailand and claimed jets had dropped two bombs on a road. The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the border, around 360 km east of Bangkok. Nine people have been killed across three border provinces, including an 8-year-old boy in Surin, according to a Thai military statement. District chief of Kabcheing in Surin province Sutthirot Charoenthanasak told Reuters that district authorities had evacuated 40,000 civilians from 86 villages near the border. The escalation of tensions comes after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday - a move made after a second Thai soldier lost a limb due to landmines in the space of a week. Thailand's foreign ministry then said Cambodian forces had fired 'heavy artillery' on a Thai military base on Thursday morning and targeted civilian areas, leading to civilian casualties. "The Royal Thai Government is prepared to intensify our self-defence measures if Cambodia persists in its armed attack and violations upon Thailand's sovereignty," the ministry said in a statement. Thai residents, including children and elderly people, ran to concrete shelters in the Surin border province. Cambodia's foreign ministry said Thailand's air strikes were "unprovoked" and called on the neighboring country to withdraw its forces and "refrain from any further provocative actions that could escalate the situation". Cambodia and Thailand have disputed points along their 817-km border for decades, resulting in skirmishes including a week-long exchange of artillery in 2011. The Department of Foreign Affairs' Smartraveller website advises travellers to Cambodia that all land border crossing points along the Cambodia-Thailand border are closed due to an ongoing dispute. Meanwhile, Smartraveller's Thailand travel advice says Australians should exercise a high degree of caution in the country, and that the security situation in Thailand 'can be unpredictable'. With Reuters
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10 hours ago
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Nine dead as Thai, Cambodian troops clash at border
At least nine Thai civilians are dead after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire in a sharp escalation of their conflict over a disputed border area. The Thai army said the most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a petrol station. Those killed included an eight-year-old boy. A further 14 people in Thailand have been injured as a result of the fighting, the army said in a statement. Earlier a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, destroying a military target. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand has closed its border with Cambodia. Cambodia's defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension. The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area. Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," a woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background. Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes. The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360km from the Thai capital Bangkok. "Artillery shell fell on people's homes," Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side. Thailand's military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple. A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate. "We have to be careful," he told reporters. "We will follow international law." Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice recognised Cambodian sovereignty over the temple area in a ruling that became a major irritant in the relations of both countries. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011 after military clashes killed about 20 people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013. with AP At least nine Thai civilians are dead after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire in a sharp escalation of their conflict over a disputed border area. The Thai army said the most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a petrol station. Those killed included an eight-year-old boy. A further 14 people in Thailand have been injured as a result of the fighting, the army said in a statement. Earlier a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, destroying a military target. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand has closed its border with Cambodia. Cambodia's defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension. The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area. Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," a woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background. Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes. The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360km from the Thai capital Bangkok. "Artillery shell fell on people's homes," Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side. Thailand's military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple. A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate. "We have to be careful," he told reporters. "We will follow international law." Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice recognised Cambodian sovereignty over the temple area in a ruling that became a major irritant in the relations of both countries. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011 after military clashes killed about 20 people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013. with AP At least nine Thai civilians are dead after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire in a sharp escalation of their conflict over a disputed border area. The Thai army said the most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a petrol station. Those killed included an eight-year-old boy. A further 14 people in Thailand have been injured as a result of the fighting, the army said in a statement. Earlier a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, destroying a military target. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand has closed its border with Cambodia. Cambodia's defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension. The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area. Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," a woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background. Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes. The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360km from the Thai capital Bangkok. "Artillery shell fell on people's homes," Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side. Thailand's military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple. A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate. "We have to be careful," he told reporters. "We will follow international law." Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice recognised Cambodian sovereignty over the temple area in a ruling that became a major irritant in the relations of both countries. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011 after military clashes killed about 20 people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013. with AP At least nine Thai civilians are dead after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire in a sharp escalation of their conflict over a disputed border area. The Thai army said the most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a petrol station. Those killed included an eight-year-old boy. A further 14 people in Thailand have been injured as a result of the fighting, the army said in a statement. Earlier a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, destroying a military target. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand has closed its border with Cambodia. Cambodia's defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension. The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area. Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," a woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background. Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes. The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360km from the Thai capital Bangkok. "Artillery shell fell on people's homes," Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side. Thailand's military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple. A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate. "We have to be careful," he told reporters. "We will follow international law." Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice recognised Cambodian sovereignty over the temple area in a ruling that became a major irritant in the relations of both countries. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011 after military clashes killed about 20 people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013. with AP
