Latest news with #ThaiDefenceMinistry
Hans India
25-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Thai Airstrikes Intensify Border Tensions With Cambodia; Clashes Leave 14 Dead
At least 14 civilians, mainly in the Thailand Cambodia conflict, have been killed in border clashes between soldiers along the border. Both sides used small arms, rockets and artillery, while Thailand airstrikes Cambodia. According to the Thai Defence Ministry's spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri on Thursday, July 24, 2025, Thailand Cambodia border clashed in six areas. This comes a day following a landmine blast along the border that injured five Thai soldiers. Bangkok also recalled its minister to Cambodia and expelled Cambodia's minister to Thailand. Hostilities in the area surrounding ancient Ta Muen Thom Temple began in the early hours of Friday morning, July 25, 2025, said General Khov Ly. Associated Press intelligencers near the border heard ordnance sounds from beforehand in the morning. Officers also verified that four civilians had been wounded during the fighting that took place on Thursday( 24 July 2025). They added that over 4,000 people were displaced, from their townlets to the evacuation centers. This was the first report of casualties on the Cambodian side. This is a rare case of a military conflict between members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, although Thailand has had former Southeast Asia border tensions and sporadic clashes with Myanmar. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to all parties to exercise maximum restraint and settle their differences through peaceful dialogue. Both sides blame the other Thailand and Cambodia blame each other for the Thailand Cambodia crisis. Both claim that civilians are being targeted. The Public Health Ministry in Bangkok reported that one Thai dogface and 13 civilians, including several children, were killed. In addition, 14 dogfights and 32 civilians were injured. Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin condemned the cross-border airstrikes against civilians and a sanitarium as a violation of transnational philanthropic law. He said" We prompt Cambodian authorities to stop these war crimes incontinently and to return to the principles of peaceful concurrence."
The Hindu
25-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Thailand launches airstrikes on Cambodia as border clashes leave at least 14 dead
Thai and Cambodian soldiers have clashed along the border between their countries in a major escalation that left at least 14 people dead, mostly civilians. The two sides fired small arms, artillery and rockets, and Thailand also launched airstrikes. Fighting took place in at least six areas on Thursday (July 24, 2025), according to Thai Defence Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri, a day after a landmine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers and led Bangkok to withdraw its ambassador from Cambodia and expel Cambodia's envoy to Thailand. Also read: Thailand and Cambodia say they will return to agreed border positions after fatal clash in June 2025 On Friday (July 25, 2025), Cambodia's chief official in Oddar Meanchey province, General Khov Ly, said clashes resumed early in the morning near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple. Associated Press reporters near the border could hear sounds of artillery from early morning hours. The official also said that at least four civilians were wounded in Thursday's (July 24, 2025) fighting there and that more than 4,000 people have been displaced from their villages along the border to evacuation centers. It was the first account of any casualties from the Cambodian side. Also read: Thailand recalls ambassador to Cambodia amid border tensions The escalation represents a rare instance of military conflict between member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation, though Thailand has tangled with Cambodia before over the border and has had sporadic skirmishes with western neighbor Myanmar. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged both sides 'to exercise maximum restraint and address any issues through dialogue,' according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. Each side blames the other Thailand and Cambodia have blamed each other for the clashes, alleging that civilians were being targeted. In Bangkok, the Public Health Ministry said a Thai soldier and 13 civilians, including children, were killed while 14 soldiers and 32 other civilians were injured. Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin condemned what he said were the attacks on civilians and a hospital as violations of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. "We urge the Cambodian government to immediately halt these war criminal actions, and return to respecting the principles of peaceful coexistence,' he said. Thailand's Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the fighting affected four provinces. The Interior Ministry was ordered to evacuate people at least 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the border. In Cambodia, several hundred villagers moved from their homes near the border to about 30 kilometers (18 miles) deeper inside Oddar Meanchey province. Many made the journey with entire families and most of their possessions on home-made tractors, before settling down with hammocks and makeshift shelters. From the encampment near the town of Samrong, a 45-year-old mother of four, Tep Savouen, said it all started about 8 a.m. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said the government was 'prepared to intensify our self-defence measures if Cambodia persists in its armed aggression and violations upon Thailand's sovereignty.' In the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt. General Maly Socheata said his country deployed armed force because 'it has no choice but to defend its territory against Thai threats.' The spokesperson insisted the Cambodian 'attacks are focused on the military places, not on any other place.' Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet wrote to the U.N. Security Council asking for an urgent meeting 'to stop Thailand's aggression'. The council scheduled an emergency closed meeting at 3 p.m. in New York on Friday (July 25, 2025). Thailand also sealed all land border crossings while urging its citizens to leave Cambodia. Officials said all seven Thai airlines expressed willingness to help bring back any Thai nationals seeking to return home from Cambodia. A long-standing border problem The two Southeast Asian neighbours have long had border disputes, which periodically flare along their 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier and usually result in brief confrontations, only rarely involving the use of weapons. The last major combat over the issue was in 2011, leaving 20 dead. However, relations sharply deteriorated since a May confrontation killed a Cambodian soldier. Thursday's (July 24, 2025) clashes were unusually big in intensity. The first clash on Thursday (July 24, 2025) morning happened near the Ta Muen Thom temple along the border of Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey, prompting villagers to scurry to shelter in concrete bunkers. The Thai Army and Cambodia's Defence Ministry each said the other side deployed drones before advancing on the other's positions and opening fire. The two sides later used heavier weaponry such as artillery, causing greater damage and casualties, and Thailand said it responded with airstrikes to truck-mounted rockets launched by Cambodia. Thailand's air force said it deployed F-16 fighter jets in two attacks on Cambodia. Nikorndej, the Thai spokesperson, called it 'an act of self-defence' in response to Cambodian rockets. Cambodia's Defence Ministry said the Thai jets dropped bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which has been a site of past conflicts between the two countries. Cambodian authorities distributed photos they claimed showed damage caused there, and the country's Culture Ministry said it would pursue justice under international law since the temple was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the U.N.'s cultural organisation, and is a 'historical legacy of the Cambodian people.' A diplomatic uproar Relations frayed badly even before the clashes began. On Wednesday (July 23, 2025), Thailand withdrew its ambassador to Cambodia and expelled the Cambodian ambassador to protest the mine blast that wounded its soldiers. Thai authorities alleged the mines were newly laid along paths that both sides had agreed 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. Cambodia also downgraded diplomatic relations, recalling all Cambodian staff on Thursday (July 24, 2025) from its embassy in Bangkok. The border dispute has also roiled Thailand's domestic politics. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra came under fire earlier this month over a phone call with Cambodia's former Prime Minister Hun Sen, still a power broker in his country, when she tried to defuse the situation. She then was suspended from office on July 1 pending an investigation into possible ethics violations over the matter.
North Wales Chronicle
24-07-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
At least 11 killed as Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire on disputed border
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. 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. 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. 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. '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. 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. 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. 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.
Rhyl Journal
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
At least 11 killed as Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire on disputed border
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. 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. 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. 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. '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. 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. 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. 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.
Leader Live
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
At least 11 killed as Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire on disputed border
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. 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. 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. 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. '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. 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. 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. 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.
