At least 13 dead as Thailand, Cambodia exchange fire in deadly border clashes
Bangkok
At least 13 Thai civilians and one soldier have been killed in heavy fighting in the border region between Thailand and Cambodia, police reported, amid fears the conflict could escalate.
At least 13 others were injured by artillery fire and rockets at five different locations, according to a statement from the Kantharalak police station in Sisaket Province in north-eastern Thailand. Locals are reported to have sought shelter in bunkers.
Photos shared by police on social media showed thick black smoke rising from a petrol station. A small supermarket and a hospital were also said to have been attacked.
Thailand deployed its air force against Cambodian military targets along the border, striking two Cambodian military headquarters in the region, according to Thai military officials. There was no confirmation from the Cambodian side.
The Thai military said that Cambodia had fired BM-21 rockets at populated Thai areas. It termed the attacks 'violent and inhumane crimes from the Cambodian side.' A long-running border dispute between the South Asian neighbours intensified into clashes on Thursday morning, with both countries blaming each other for firing the first shots. The conflict, rooted in colonial-era disagreements, centres on contested boundaries along their 800-kilometre border.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a post on Facebook that his country had always pursued peaceful solutions but now had no choice but to respond with armed force to armed aggression.
While the Thai military said Cambodian forces opened fire on a base in Thailand's Surin province near the Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple, Cambodia countered that Thai troops initiated the assault.
Tensions have spiked since a fatal shooting in May, and on Wednesday several Thai soldiers were injured by landmines in the contested zone. Thailand accused Cambodia of recently planting the mines. At the end of June, Thailand ordered the closure of border crossings in six provinces. Bangkok on Wednesday recalled its ambassador from Phnom Penh simultaneously ordering the Cambodian ambassador leave. The Thai embassy in Cambodia advised its nationals to leave as soon as possible 'insofar as this is possible in safety.'
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