At least 12 people have been killed and several others injured after clashes erupted between Thailand and Cambodia in a dramatic escalation of the long-running border row between the two neighbours. Both countries have blamed each other for starting the fighting.
According to media reports, Cambodia fired artillery shells and rockets into Thailand, while the Thai military scrambled F-16 jets to carry out air attacks. Thailand’s Health Ministry said at least 11 civilians had been killed, including an eight-year-old boy, with most dying in a rocket attack near a gas station in Sisaket province.
Both sides exchanged gunfire this morning, with each claiming the other had fired the first shot. The situation escalated quickly, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of firing rockets and Bangkok carrying out air strikes on Cambodian military targets.
Thailand has closed its border with Cambodia, while Cambodia has downgraded its ties with Thailand, accusing its military of using excessive force.
The century-old border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, reignited in 2008 over Cambodia’s bid to register a contested 11th-century temple as a UNESCO site, has led to sporadic clashes, with renewed tensions flaring in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed. Since then, both nations have imposed trade and border restrictions and bolstered military presence, marking the lowest point in bilateral ties in over a decade.