Thailand-Cambodia clashes: 14 dead, over 1 lakh displaced as fighting escalates
Thailand-Cambodia clashes: 14 dead, over 1 lakh displaced as fighting escalates
Clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces along the border escalated on Friday, leaving at least 14 people dead and over 1,00,000 civilians homeless. The clashes, involving small arms, artillery and missiles, mark the most serious confrontation between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in over a decade over a long-disputed border.
On Friday, both countries dispatched additional infantry regiments to four provinces and kept their fighter jets on standby. On Thursday, Thailand deployed its F-16 fighter jets to target six military installations in Cambodia as Phnom Penh shelled several Thai border towns.
Thailand-Cambodia Conflict
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Clashes resumed early in the morning near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple, which is at the heart of the border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. Cambodia claimed Thursday’s fighting left four civilians injured and more than 4,000 people have been displaced.
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Videos on social media showed several Cambodian families moving away from the border on foot. Many were seen transporting their belongings on homemade tractors to makeshift camps.
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In an official statement, the Thai government said it was prepared to intensify its self-defence measures “if Cambodia persists in its armed attack and violations of Thailand’s sovereignty”.
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