Thai-Cambodian border dispute escalates with deadly clashes

Deadly clashes erupted on the Thai-Cambodian border, sidesplitting astatine slightest 11 civilians and 1 soldier, each connected the Thailand side, arsenic a diplomatic situation deepens betwixt the Southeast Asian neighbours.

Violence intensified connected Thursday erstwhile some nations exchanged gunfire, with accusations of who initiated the fighting. Diplomatic ties person severely deteriorated since Wednesday, starring Thailand to seal each onshore borderline crossings with Cambodia.

The concern has been worsening since a May confrontation that killed 1 Cambodian soldier, with nationalist sentiments inflaming tensions connected some sides.

Thai subject sources reported the heaviest casualties successful Si Sa Ket province, wherever six radical died during an onslaught connected a petrol station. At slightest 14 others sustained injuries crossed 3 borderline provinces.

The warring escalated arsenic Thai forces launched aerial attacks against Cambodian subject positions, portion Cambodia reported Thai jets bombing a roadworthy adjacent the historical Preah Vihear temple.

Thai Ministry of Defence spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri confirmed ongoing warring successful astatine slightest six borderline areas. Thursday’s archetypal clash occurred adjacent the past Ta Muen Thom Temple connected the borderline betwixt Thailand’s Surin state and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet declared that portion his federation has consistently pursued peaceful solutions, “we person nary prime but to respond with equipped unit against equipped aggression”.

Earlier connected Thursday, Cambodia downgraded diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling each Cambodian embassy unit from Bangkok. This enactment followed Thailand’s withdrawal of its ambassador and expulsion of the Cambodian ambassador connected Wednesday successful protestation of a landmine detonation that injured 5 Thai soldiers.

Regarding Thursday’s archetypal confrontation, the Thai service reported that it detected an unmanned aerial conveyance earlier spotting six equipped Cambodian soldiers approaching Thailand’s position. Despite Thai soldiers’ verbal attempts to defuse the situation, the Cambodian forces allegedly opened occurrence first.