Latest news with #militaryaggression
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Thai fighter jet bombs Cambodian targets as border battle escalates
By Panarat Thepgumpanat , Chantha Lach and Panu Wongcha-um , Reuters Royal Thai Army soldiers are pictured on armoured vehicles on a road in Chachoengsao province. Photo: LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP Thailand scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia after artillery volleys from both sides killed at least 11 civilians, as border tension boiled over into rare armed conflict between the Southeast Asian countries. Both blamed each other for starting a morning clash at a disputed area of the border, which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling in at least six locations 209 kilometres (130 miles) apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century. Thailand positioned six F-16 fighter jets in an uncommon combat deployment, one of which was mobilised to strike a Cambodian military target, among measures Cambodia's foreign ministry called "reckless and brutal military aggression". Thailand's military said the use of air power was to strike with precision. The worst fighting between the countries in 13 years came after Thailand on Wednesday (local time) recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh and expelled Cambodia's envoy, in response to a second Thai soldier losing a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently by rival troops. The two countries have been braced for conflict since the killing of a Cambodian soldier late in May during a brief skirmish, with troops reinforced on both sides of the border amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. Thailand said there were 12 fatalities in three Thai provinces, 11 of them civilians including an eight-year-old boy. Authorities said 31 people were injured on Thursday. The number of Cambodian casualties was unclear. "We condemn this - using heavy weapons without a clear target, outside of conflict zones... the use of force and did not adhere to international law," Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters. "We remain committed to peaceful means and there should be discussions, but what happened was a provocation and we had to defend ourselves." Thailand's Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters a hospital was hit by shelling in Surin province, an attack he said should be considered "a war crime". Cambodian government, defence and foreign ministry officials at a press conference gave no indication of fatalities sustained or any estimate of the number of people evacuated. In a letter to Pakistan, the current president of the United Nations Security Council, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, urged the body to convene a meeting to stop what he called "unprovoked and premeditated military aggression" by Thailand in violation of international law. As clashes spread to different border areas, Thai villagers including children and the elderly fled to concrete shelters fortified with sandbags and car tires. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," an unidentified woman in Surin province told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service while hiding in the shelter as gunfire and explosions were heard in the background. Video footage showed a plume of thick black smoke rising from a gas station in the neighbouring Sisaket province, as firefighters rushed to extinguish the blaze. Thailand has evacuated more than 40,000 people from border areas, moving many to temporary shelters, where elderly people and small children gathered on floor mats as authorities prepared meals and unloaded food and bottled water from trucks. "I'm worried about my children," said Suphap Wongwai, an evacuee in Surin province. "My children are scared and crying." Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over jurisdiction of various undemarcated points along their 817km (508-mile) land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear central to the disputes. Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962 but tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage site. That led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths. Cambodia in June said it had asked the ICJ to resolve its disputes with Thailand, which says it has never recognised the court's jurisdiction and prefers a bilateral approach. Thailand's use of a fighter jet underlines its military advantage over Cambodia in terms of size and range of defence hardware. The clashes have caused jitters in the region, with the Philippines and Vietnam calling for restraint and China expressing willingness to play a role in promoting de-escalation. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Thailand and Cambodia are members, said he would speak to leaders of both countries. "The least we can expect from them is to just stand down and hopefully to try and enter into negotiations," Anwar said. The clashes erupted hours after a downgrade in diplomatic relations between the two countries following a series of landmine injuries to Thai soldiers patrolling border areas. Thailand accused Cambodia of placing the mines recently, which Phnom Penh dismissed as baseless. De-mining groups estimate as many as 4-6 million landmines remain in Cambodia following years of civil war. - Reuters
Reuters
6 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Thai fighter jet bombs Cambodian targets as border battle escalates
BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH, July 24 (Reuters) - Thailand scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia on Thursday after artillery volleys from both sides killed at least 11 civilians, as border tension boiled over into rare armed conflict between the Southeast Asian countries. Both blamed each other for starting a morning clash at a disputed area of the border, which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling in at least six locations 209 kilometres (130 miles) apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century. Thailand positioned six F-16 fighter jets in an uncommon combat deployment, one of which was mobilised to strike a Cambodian military target, among measures Cambodia's foreign ministry called "reckless and brutal military aggression". Thailand's military said the use of air power was to strike with precision. The worst fighting between the countries in 13 years came after Thailand on Wednesday recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh and expelled Cambodia's envoy, in response to a second Thai soldier losing a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently by rival troops. The two countries have been braced for conflict since the killing of a Cambodian soldier late in May during a brief skirmish, with troops reinforced on both sides of the border amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. Thailand said there were 12 fatalities in three Thai provinces, 11 of them civilians including an eight-year-old boy. Authorities said 31 people were injured on Thursday. The number of Cambodian casualties was unclear. "We condemn this - using heavy weapons without a clear target, outside of conflict zones... the use of force and did not adhere to international law," Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters. "We remain committed to peaceful means and there should be discussions, but what happened was a provocation and we had to defend ourselves." Thailand's Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters a hospital was hit by shelling in Surin province, an attack he said should be considered "a war crime". Cambodian government, defence and foreign ministry officials at a press conference gave no indication of fatalities sustained or any estimate of the number of people evacuated. In a letter to Pakistan, the current president of the United Nations Security Council, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, urged the body to convene a meeting to stop what he called "unprovoked and premeditated military aggression" by Thailand in violation of international law. As clashes spread to different border areas, Thai villagers including children and the elderly fled to concrete shelters fortified with sandbags and car tires. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," an unidentified woman in Surin province told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service while hiding in the shelter as gunfire and explosions were heard in the background. Video footage showed a plume of thick black smoke rising from a gas station in the neighbouring Sisaket province, as firefighters rushed to extinguish the blaze. Thailand has evacuated more than 40,000 people from border areas, moving many to temporary shelters, where elderly people and small children gathered on floor mats as authorities prepared meals and unloaded food and bottled water from trucks. "I'm worried about my children," said Suphap Wongwai, an evacuee in Surin province. "My children are scared and crying." Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over jurisdiction of various undemarcated points along their 817km (508-mile) land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear central to the disputes. Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962 but tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage site. That led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths. Cambodia in June said it had asked the ICJ to resolve its disputes with Thailand, which says it has never recognised the court's jurisdiction and prefers a bilateral approach. Thailand's use of a fighter jet underlines its military advantage over Cambodia in terms of size and range of defence hardware. The clashes have caused jitters in the region, with the Philippines and Vietnam calling for restraint and China expressing willingness to play a role in promoting de-escalation. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Thailand and Cambodia are members, said he would speak to leaders of both countries. "The least we can expect from them is to just stand down and hopefully to try and enter into negotiations," Anwar said. The clashes erupted hours after a downgrade in diplomatic relations between the two countries following a series of landmine injuries to Thai soldiers patrolling border areas. Thailand accused Cambodia of placing the mines recently, which Phnom Penh dismissed as baseless. De-mining groups estimate as many as 4-6 million landmines remain in Cambodia following years of civil war.
News24
6 days ago
- Politics
- News24
9 dead as Thailand Cambodia tensions spill into violent conflict
Nine people were killed in border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. A Thai fighter jet bombed Cambodian targets. The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia. A 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 nine civilians, including a child. 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'. AFP 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-defence measures if Cambodia persists in its armed attack and violations upon Thailand's sovereignty,' the ministry said in a statement. READ | Snakes on a plane: India officials block smuggling of live snakes from Thailand 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 non-demarcated points along their 817km 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. The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360km east of the Thai capital Bangkok. Thailand's military said in a statement that nine people have been killed across three border provinces, including an 8-year-old boy in Surin. 'Artillery shell fell on people's homes,' Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, adding that district authorities had evacuated 40 000 civilians from 86 villages near the border 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. Six people were killed and 10 wounded at the site, the military said, adding another person was killed in the border province of Ubon Ratchathani. '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,' it said in a statement. The military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the Ta Moan Thom temple. Cambodian troops opened fire and two Thai soldiers were wounded, a Thai army spokesperson said, adding Cambodia had used multiple weapons, including rocket launchers. 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 Thai 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.
Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Thailand, Cambodia troops open fire on each other, killing at least 12
At least 12 people have died as violent clashes escalate along the Thailand-Cambodia border. Amid the rising tensions, Thailand has closed its border with Cambodia. One of Thailand's six F-16 fighter jets along its disputed border fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, according to Reuters, which cited the Thai army. The outlet added that Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense said the jets dropped two bombs on a road. The ministry said that it "strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia," according to Reuters. Late on Wednesday, Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia and announced it would expel the ambassador from Cambodia. On Thursday, Cambodia downgraded its diplomatic relations with Thailand to the lowest level and recalled all staff from its embassy in Bangkok, the Associated Press reported. Additionally, the Cambodian Foreign Ministry demanded all Thai diplomatic staff leave the country. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he would speak to the leaders of both countries by the end of the day, according to the BBC. Malaysia is currently serving as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), putting Ibrahim in a position to mediate, as both Cambodia and Thailand are member states. The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok and the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh advised American citizens living in or traveling near the border area to follow the directions of local security personnel. This comes almost exactly one month after both embassies warned U.S. citizens in their respective countries against going near the border. The State Department issued a "Level 1 with risk" travel advisory — just above the lowest level — urging Americans to exercise caution, though travel is permitted. While it is unclear how the latest clashes between Cambodia and Thailand began, the violence follows a dispute in May, during which troops from both sides exchanged fire. According to The Associated Press, both sides said they acted in self-defense and one Cambodian soldier was killed. Following the flare-up in May, both countries took retaliatory actions, with Thailand stopping nearly all border crossings before ultimately closing them entirely. Meanwhile, Cambodia banned Thai movies and TV.
SBS Australia
6 days ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Thailand says 11 civilians killed after border clashes with Cambodia escalate
Thai and Cambodian troops have clashed near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple in Cambodia. A Thai F-16 fighter jet has since bombed targets in Cambodia, with the latter condemning its "military aggression". Thailand's health minister said 11 civilians and one soldier were killed in artillery shelling by Cambodian forces. Eleven Thai civilians are dead after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire in a sharp escalation of their conflict over a disputed border area. A Thai F-16 fighter jet has also bombed targets in Cambodia as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes. 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 has closed its border with Cambodia. Cambodia's defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, condemning Thailand's "reckless and brutal military aggression" and saying its airstrikes were "unprovoked". It accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension, calling on it to withdraw its forces and "refrain from any further provocative actions that could escalate the situation". The clashes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok. Source: AAP / EPA/Kith Serey 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 Royal Thai government is prepared to intensify our self-defence measures if Cambodia persists in its armed attack and violations upon Thailand's sovereignty," Thailand's ministry said in a statement. 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. Clashes took place near disputed temple 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. 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 Thailand and Cambodia, around 360km from the Thai capital Bangkok. A Cambodian BM-21 multiple rocket launcher returns from the Cambodia-Thai border. Source: AFP / STR 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." An attempt by Thai 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.
