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BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Thailand accuses Cambodia of violating hours-old ceasefire
Thailand has accused Cambodia of "deliberately" violating a ceasefire the two countries had agreed on Monday to end border clashes that have killed at least 33 people and displaced thousands. It's a shaky start for the ceasefire, which was meant to bring an end to five days of bombardment and rocket attacks along the shared Thai military says it stopped firing after midnight, but that it continued to receive gunfire from the Cambodian side "at multiple locations" up until this morning. But Cambodia's defence ministry told the AFP news agency there had been "no armed clashes" between the two sides since the ceasefire began at midnight. A meeting between local commanders which was part of the ceasefire agreement has been postponed twice, and may not happen at all. Tensions between the South East Asian countries over their century-old disputed border ramped up in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash. They escalated into a full-scale conflict last week after five Thai soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion. Thailand closed some of its border crossings, expelled the Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own from Phnom Penh. After the two sides exchanged gunfire early on Thursday, Cambodia fired multiple rockets into Thailand, killing several civilians. More civilians died on both sides in the following days, and tens of thousands more were evacuated to shelters. Intense exchanges of fire between the two armies continued up to midnight on Monday, the deadline for the ceasefire, with Thailand launching more air strikes on Cambodian positions. But on Tuesday morning, before Thailand alleged the ceasefire had been violated, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said that the "frontlines have eased" since midnight. Under the agreement, both sides had agreed to pull back their armies and to accept some kind of independent monitoring to prevent further Manet and his Thai counterpart Phumtham Wechayachai had met on Monday in Malaysia in a meeting brokered by its leader Anwar Ibrahim. An outgunned Cambodia had been pushing for a ceasefire and its leader called it a very good meeting. Thailand, which had initially been reluctant to negotiate, agreed after US President Donald Trump threatened to halt talks over tariffs until Thailand and Cambodia stopped fighting. A dispute going back decades In fact, the argument between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, when the borders of the two nations were drawn after the French occupation of officially became hostile in 2008, when Cambodia tried to register an 11th Century temple located in the disputed area as a Unesco World Heritage Site - a move that was met with heated protest from the years there have been sporadic clashes that have seen soldiers and civilians killed on both latest tensions ramped up in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash. This plunged bilateral ties to their lowest point in more than a the past two months, both countries have imposed border restrictions on one another. Cambodia banned imports from Thailand such as fruits and vegetables, and stopped importing power and internet countries have also strengthened troop presence along the border in recent weeks.
BreakingNews.ie
7 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
At least 12 killed as Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire on disputed border
Thailand and Cambodia have exchanged fire on their border in a sharp escalation of a conflict that killed at least 12 people, mostly civilians and including two children aged eight and 15. Both nations accused each other of starting the military clashes and have downgraded diplomatic relations since Wednesday. Thailand also sealed all land border crossings with Cambodia. Advertisement Relations between the south-east Asian neighbours have deteriorated sharply since an armed confrontation in May that killed a Cambodian soldier. Nationalist passions on both sides have further inflamed the situation. An injured Thai soldier is sent to hospital (Royal Thai Army/AP) The Thai army said the most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a fuel station. At least two dozen people were injured in three border provinces. The Thai army said it launched air strikes on Thursday on ground military targets in Cambodia, while the Cambodian Defence Ministry said the Thai jets dropped bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple. Clashes are ongoing in at least six areas along the border, Thai Defence Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said. Advertisement The first clash on Thursday morning happened in an area near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple along the border of Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. A video from Thailand's side showed people running from their homes and hiding in a concrete bunker as explosions sounded. Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Cambodia has attacked military and non-military sites in Thailand, including a hospital. 'The Royal Thai Government calls upon Cambodia to take responsibility for the incidents that have occurred, cease attacks against civilian and military targets, and stop all actions that violate Thailand's sovereignty,' said Nikorndej Balankura, the ministry's spokesperson. Advertisement Thai soldiers inspect a border area (Royal Thai Army/AP) '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 in accordance with international law and principles.' Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said his country had always maintained a position of peaceful resolution of problems, but 'we have no choice but to respond with armed force against armed aggression'. Earlier on Thursday, Cambodia said it was downgrading diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok. That was in response to Thailand withdrawing its ambassador and expelling the Cambodian ambassador on Wednesday in protest at a land mine blast that wounded five Thai soldiers. Advertisement The Thai army said of Thursday's initial clash that its forces heard a drone before seeing six Cambodian soldiers moving closer to Thailand's station. It said Thai soldiers tried to shout at them to defuse the situation but the Cambodian side opened fire. Cambodia's Defence Ministry also said Thailand employed a drone first before opening fire, and that Cambodia 'acted strictly within the bounds of self-defence, responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity'. The Thai embassy in Phnom Penh said there were clashes at several border areas that could continue to escalate. It urged Thai nationals in Cambodia to leave the country if they could and advised others not to travel to Cambodia unless absolutely necessary. Land mine detection teams in Siem Reap, Cambodia (Anton L Delgado/AP) On Wednesday, a land mine blast near the border wounded five Thai soldiers, one of whom lost a leg. A week earlier, a land mine in a different contested area exploded and wounded three Thai soldiers. Advertisement Thai authorities have alleged the mines were newly laid along paths that by mutual agreement were supposed to be safe. They said the mines were Russian-made and not of a type employed by Thailand's military. Cambodia rejected Thailand's account as 'baseless accusations', pointing out that many unexploded mines and other ordnance are a legacy of 20th century wars and unrest. The border dispute has also caused political fallout in Thailand, whose prime minister was suspended from office to be investigated for possible ethics violations over the matter. Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1,000-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.
BreakingNews.ie
7 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
At least 11 killed as Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire on disputed border
Thailand and Cambodia have exchanged fire on their border in a sharp escalation of a conflict that killed at least 11 people, mostly civilians. Both nations accused each other of starting the military clashes and have downgraded diplomatic relations since Wednesday. Thailand also sealed all land border crossings with Cambodia. Advertisement Relations between the south-east Asian neighbours have deteriorated sharply since an armed confrontation in May that killed a Cambodian soldier. Nationalist passions on both sides have further inflamed the situation. An injured Thai soldier is sent to hospital (Royal Thai Army/AP) The Thai army said the most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a fuel station. At least 14 people were injured in three border provinces. The Thai army said it launched air strikes on Thursday on ground military targets in Cambodia, while the Cambodian Defence Ministry said the Thai jets dropped bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple. Clashes are ongoing in at least six areas along the border, Thai Defence Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said. Advertisement The first clash on Thursday morning happened in an area near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple along the border of Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. A video from Thailand's side showed people running from their homes and hiding in a concrete bunker as explosions sounded. Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Cambodia has attacked military and non-military sites in Thailand, including a hospital. 'The Royal Thai Government calls upon Cambodia to take responsibility for the incidents that have occurred, cease attacks against civilian and military targets, and stop all actions that violate Thailand's sovereignty,' said Nikorndej Balankura, the ministry's spokesperson. Advertisement Thai soldiers inspect a border area (Royal Thai Army/AP) '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 in accordance with international law and principles.' Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said his country had always maintained a position of peaceful resolution of problems, but 'we have no choice but to respond with armed force against armed aggression'. Earlier on Thursday, Cambodia said it was downgrading diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok. That was in response to Thailand withdrawing its ambassador and expelling the Cambodian ambassador on Wednesday in protest at a land mine blast that wounded five Thai soldiers. Advertisement The Thai army said of Thursday's initial clash that its forces heard a drone before seeing six Cambodian soldiers moving closer to Thailand's station. It said Thai soldiers tried to shout at them to defuse the situation but the Cambodian side opened fire. Cambodia's Defence Ministry also said Thailand employed a drone first before opening fire, and that Cambodia 'acted strictly within the bounds of self-defence, responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity'. The Thai embassy in Phnom Penh said there were clashes at several border areas that could continue to escalate. It urged Thai nationals in Cambodia to leave the country if they could and advised others not to travel to Cambodia unless absolutely necessary. Land mine detection teams in Siem Reap, Cambodia (Anton L Delgado/AP) On Wednesday, a land mine blast near the border wounded five Thai soldiers, one of whom lost a leg. A week earlier, a land mine in a different contested area exploded and wounded three Thai soldiers. Advertisement Thai authorities have alleged the mines were newly laid along paths that by mutual agreement were supposed to be safe. They said the mines were Russian-made and not of a type employed by Thailand's military. Cambodia rejected Thailand's account as 'baseless accusations', pointing out that many unexploded mines and other ordnance are a legacy of 20th century wars and unrest. The border dispute has also caused political fallout in Thailand, whose prime minister was suspended from office to be investigated for possible ethics violations over the matter. Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1,000-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.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire in clashes that kill at least 9 civilians
Thai people who fled clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers take shelter in Surin province, northeastern Thailand, Thursday, July 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunny Chittawil) BANGKOK — Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire on their border Thursday in a sharp escalation of their conflict that killed at least nine civilians. Both nations accused each other of starting the military clashes and have downgraded their diplomatic relations since Wednesday. Thailand also sealed all land border crossings with Cambodia. Relations between the Southeast Asian neighbours have deteriorated sharply since an armed confrontation in May that killed a Cambodian soldier. Nationalist passions on both sides have further inflamed the situation. The Thai army said the most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a gas station. At least 14 people were injured in three border provinces. The Thai army said it launched airstrikes Thursday on ground military targets in Cambodia, while the Cambodian Defence Ministry said the Thai jets dropped bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple. Both governments say they have to respond to the other's actions Clashes are ongoing in at least six areas along the border, Thai Defence Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said. The first clash Thursday morning happened in an area near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple along the border of Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. A livestream video from Thailand's side showed people running from their homes and hiding in a concrete bunker Thursday morning as explosions sounded. Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Cambodia has attacked both military and non-military sites in Thailand, including a hospital. 'The Royal Thai Government calls upon Cambodia to take responsibility for the incidents that have occurred, cease attacks against civilian and military targets, and stop all actions that violate Thailand's sovereignty. 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 in accordance with international law and principles,' said Nikorndej Balankura, the ministry's spokesperson. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said his country has always maintained a position of peaceful resolution of problems, but 'we have no choice but to respond with armed force against armed aggression.' Ambassadors are withdrawn and borders closed Earlier Thursday, Cambodia said it was downgrading diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok. That was in response to Thailand withdrawing its ambassador and expelling the Cambodian ambassador Wednesday to protest a land mine blast that wounded five Thai soldiers. The Thai army said of Thursday's initial clash that its forces heard an unmanned aerial vehicle before seeing six armed Cambodian soldiers moving closer to Thailand's station. It said Thai soldiers tried to shout at them to defuse the situation but the Cambodian side started to open fire. Cambodia's Defence Ministry also said Thailand employed a drone first before opening fire, and that Cambodia 'acted strictly within the bounds of self-defence, responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity.' The Thai embassy in Phnom Penh posted on Facebook that there were clashes at several border areas that could continue to escalate. It urged Thai nationals in Cambodia to leave the country if they could and advised others not to travel to Cambodia unless absolutely necessary. On Wednesday, a land mine blast near the border wounded five Thai soldiers, one of whom lost a leg. A week earlier, a land mine in a different contested area exploded and wounded three Thai soldiers when one of them stepped on it and lost a foot. Thai authorities have alleged the mines were newly laid along paths that by mutual agreement were supposed to be safe. They said the mines were Russian-made and not of a type employed by Thailand's military. Cambodia rejected Thailand's account as 'baseless accusations,' pointing out that many unexploded mines and other ordnance are a legacy of 20th century wars and unrest. The border dispute has also caused political fallout in Thailand, whose prime minister was suspended from office to be investigated for possible ethics violations over the matter. Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice recognized 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, following several military clashes that killed about 20 people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013, a decision that still rattled Thailand. ___ Associated Press writer Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report. Jintamas Saksornchai, The Associated Press
The Independent
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Mapped: Where are border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia taking place?
Thailand and Cambodia traded artillery and airstrikes at multiple flashpoints along their disputed border on Thursday, killing 11 civilians and one soldier and wounding around a dozen in the most serious escalation of hostilities between the Southeast Asian nations in over a decade. The conflict erupted early Thursday near Ta Moan Thom, an ancient temple complex straddling Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey. Thai authorities claimed that clashes started after a drone and six Cambodian soldiers were spotted near a Thai Army outpost. S oldiers from both sides failed to de-escalate and gunfire broke out. Thailand later deployed F-16 fighter jets to bomb what it called military targets inside Cambodian territory. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," said Colonel Richa Suksuwanon, deputy spokesperson for the Thai Army. The Cambodian defence ministry accused Thailand of dropping two bombs on a road and denounced the attack as 'reckless and brutal military aggression' violating its sovereignty. "We have no choice but to respond with armed force against armed aggression," Prime minister Hun Manet said. Thailand's foreign ministry said Cambodia had carried out heavy artillery strikes at a military base and struck civilian areas, including a hospital. "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," ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said. View more A child was among three civilians injured in the border town of Kabcheing, Thai defence ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said. Authorities evacuated more than 40,000 residents from 86 villages near the frontier in Si Sa Ket and Surin provinces. In Si Sa Ket, six civilians were killed when gunfire hit a petrol station. A total of 14 people were reported injured across three Thai border provinces. Footage from Thai broadcasters showed women and children fleeing into sandbagged bunkers as explosions echoed in the background. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," a woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service while taking shelter. The escalation followed weeks of rising tensions. Last week, a Thai soldier lost his leg after stepping on a mine in a disputed zone near Ubon Ratchathani. Thai officials accused Cambodia of recently laying new Russian landmines in breach of previous agreements. Phnom Penh denied the accusation, blaming legacy ordnance from its decades-long civil war, which left millions of landmines scattered across the country. In the wake of the incident, Thailand withdrew its ambassador, expelled Cambodia's envoy, and sealed all border crossings under the command of the country's Second Army. Cambodia retaliated by expelling Thailand's ambassador and recalling its diplomatic staff from the Bangkok embassy. A post by the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh warned citizens to avoid travel to Cambodia, unless absolutely necessary. Tensions have simmered since late May when a brief gunfight resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier. The situation deteriorated when a leaked phone call between Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen caused a political crisis in Bangkok. Ms Shinawatra was subsequently suspended pending a court investigation into alleged ethics violations over her handling of the issue. Border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia are nothing new. Disputes have persisted for more than a century along their 817km frontier, much of it poorly demarcated. A key flashpoint is the Preah Vihear temple, a 1,000-year-old Unesco World Heritage Site. The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia but surrounding areas would remain a source of conflict, which escalated into deadly skirmishes in 2011. The court reaffirmed Cambodia's claim in 2013 – fueling resentment in Thailand.
