Latest news with #TPBS


The Star
25-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Fiery exchange at the border
Jet strikes and shelling kill civilians as Thailand-Cambodia tensions boil over A Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, both sides said, as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes that have killed at least 12 people, including 11 civilians. Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy along the disputed border, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash yesterday. '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 that it 'strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia'. 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. A man looking at the damage to Phanom Dong Rak hospital in Surin province, Thailand, after Cambodia fired artillery shells. — Agencies 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. There was no immediate word of casualties in Cambodia. 'The Thai Army condemns Cambodia for using weapons to attack civilians in Thailand. 'Thailand is ready to protect sovereignty and our people from inhumane action,' the country's military said in a statement. China expressed concern at the fighting and said it was willing to play a role in promoting de-escalation. Thai residents including children and the elderly ran to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tyres in the Surin border province. 'How many rounds have been fired? It's countless,' an unidentified woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter as gunfire and explosions were heard intermittently in the background. Cambodia's foreign ministry said Thailand's airstrikes were 'unprovoked' and called on its neighbour to withdraw its forces and 'refrain from any further provocative actions that could escalate the situation'. For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817km land border, which has led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a week-long exchange of artillery in 2011. People resting at a shelter following recent clashes along the disputed border between the two countries in Surin province. — Agencies 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 yesterday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the border between Cambodia and Thailand, about 360km east of Bangkok. Thailand's Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters the deaths took place across three border provinces and included an eight-year-old boy in Surin. He added that the Cambodian shelling included a strike on a hospital in Surin province, which he said should be considered a war crime. 'Artillery shell fell on people's homes,' Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, said, adding that authorities had evacuated 40,000 civilians from 86 border villages to safer locations. 'Two people have died,' he added. Video footage showed a plume of thick black smoke rising from a gas station in the neighbouring Thai Sisaket province, as firefighters rushed to extinguish the blaze. A total of eight people have been killed and 15 wounded in Sisaket, the health minister said, adding that another person was killed in the border province of Ubon Ratchathani. The army said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons, including rocket launchers, to an area near the Ta Moan Thom 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.' — Reuters


Japan Today
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
Thailand F-16 jet bombs Cambodian targets as border clash escalates
Firefighters work to extinguish fire at a convenience store at a gas station, amid the clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, in Kantharalak district, Sisaket province, Thailand, July 24, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a handout video. TPBS/Handout via REUTERS By Panu Wongcha-um and Chayut Setboonsarng A Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, both sides said, as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes on Thursday that have killed at least 12 people, including 11 civilians. Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy along the disputed border, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. 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 that it "strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia". 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. 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. There was no immediate word of casualties in Cambodia. "The Thai Army condemns Cambodia for using weapons to attack civilians in Thailand. Thailand is ready to protect sovereignty and our people from inhumane action," the country's military said in a statement. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, the current chair of Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN in which Thailand and Cambodia are also members, urged calm and said he would speak to leaders of both countries to peacefully resolve their dispute. China also expressed concern at the fighting and said it was willing to play a role in promoting de-escalation. Thai residents including children and the elderly ran to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires in the Surin border province. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," an unidentified woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter as gunfire and explosions were heard intermittently in the background. Cambodia's foreign ministry said Thailand's air strikes were "unprovoked" and called on its neighbour to withdraw its forces and "refrain from any further provocative actions that could escalate the situation". For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border, which has led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery in 2011. 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. LANDMINES The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360 km (225 miles) east of the Thai capital Bangkok. Thailand's Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters the deaths took place across three border provinces and included an 8-year-old boy in Surin. He added the Cambodian shelling included a strike on a hospital in Surin province, which he said should be considered a war crime. "Artillery shell fell on people's homes," Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, adding authorities had evacuated 40,000 civilians from 86 border villages to safer locations. "Two people have died," he added. Video footage showed a plume of thick black smoke rising from a gas station in the neighbouring Thai Sisaket province, as firefighters rushed to extinguish the blaze. A total of eight people have been killed and 15 wounded in Sisaket, the health minister said, adding another person was killed in the border province of Ubon Ratchathani. The army said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons, including rocket launchers, to an area near the Ta Moan Thom 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." An attempt by Thailand's then premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resolve the recent tensions via a call with Cambodia's influential former Prime Minister Hun Sen, the contents of which were leaked, kicked off a political storm in Thailand, leading to her suspension by a court. Hun Sen said in a Facebook post that two Cambodian provinces had come under shelling from the Thai military. Thailand this week accused Cambodia of placing landmines in a disputed area that injured three soldiers. Phnom Penh denied the claim and said the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered a mine left behind from decades of war. Cambodia has many landmines left over from its civil war decades ago, numbering in the millions according to de-mining groups. But Thailand maintains landmines have been placed at the border area recently, which Cambodia has described as baseless allegations. © (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025.

Malay Mail
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Thai civilian killed, child among several injured as border clash with Cambodia escalates
BANGKOK, July 24 — One Thai civilian was killed and three others, including a five-year-old child, were seriously injured following a clash between Thai and Cambodian troops in a disputed border area early Thursday. Thai government spokesperson Jirayu Huangsap said the child was in critical condition, while the two other injured individuals were family members of the deceased. According to reports from the ground, he said more than seven Thai soldiers were believed to have sustained injuries following the clashes. 'Thai authorities have evacuated residents from the affected area for their safety,' he said in a statement on Thursday. Jirayu said the Royal Thai Armed Forces field commanders have been authorised to make real-time decisions. 'All border crossings have been closed since 8 am this morning,' he said. Smoke and fire rise from a convenience store at a gas station, amid the clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, in Kantharalak district, Sisaket province, Thailand, July 24, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a handout video. — TPBS handout pic via Reuters Cambodia and Thailand have been involved in a bitter diplomatic row since May 28, following a border clash between the two countries' soldiers along the Preah Vihear border. One Cambodian soldier was killed in the shootout. The two Southeast Asian neighbours have been disputing an 817-km undemarcated border for decades, which continues to sour diplomatic ties. On Wednesday, the Thai government downgraded diplomatic relations with Cambodia in immediate retaliation after a Thai soldier was injured by what the government claimed was a newly planted landmine. The Cambodian government reciprocated by lowering its diplomatic ties with Thailand to the lowest level on Thursday. So far, there have been no statement on casualties from Cambodian officials. — Bernama


The Advertiser
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
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


ARN News Center
24-07-2025
- Politics
- ARN News Center
Thailand F-16 jet bombs Cambodian targets as border clash escalates
Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia on Thursday, both sides said, as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes that have killed at least two civilians. Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy along the disputed border, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. 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 that it "strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia". 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. Thailand's foreign ministry said Cambodian troops fired "heavy artillery" on a Thai military base on Thursday morning and also targeted civilian areas including a hospital, leading to civilian casualties. "The Royal Thai Government is prepared to intensify our self-defense 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 the elderly ran to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires in the Surin border province. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," an unidentified woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter as gunfire and explosions were heard intermittently in the background. Cambodia's foreign ministry said Thailand's air strikes were "unprovoked" and called on its neighbour to withdraw its forces and "refrain from any further provocative actions that could escalate the situation". For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border, which has led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery in 2011. 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.