Bangkok — Thai and Cambodian troopers clashed in a number of areas alongside their border Thursday in a serious escalation of their battle that left no less than 11 folks lifeless, largely civilians. The 2 sides fired small arms, artillery and rockets, and Thailand additionally referred to as in airstrikes.
Thai villagers might be seen on video fleeing their properties to hunt shelter because the clashes started within the morning.
Combating was ongoing in no less than six areas alongside the border, Thai Protection Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri stated. The set off for the clashes was a mine explosion alongside the border on Wednesday that wounded 5 Thai troopers and led Bangkok to withdraw its ambassador to Cambodia and expelled Cambodia’s.
Thailand’s international ministry stated all land border crossings with Cambodia had been sealed and communities close to the frontier had been evacuated. It urged all Thai nationals to go away Cambodia.
Military Area 2 by way of Fb/Handout by way of REUTERS
The Southeast Asian neighbors have longstanding border disputes that periodically flare alongside their 500-mile frontier and often end in transient confrontations that generally includes exchanges of gunfire. However relations have deteriorated sharply since a confrontation in Could that killed a Cambodian soldier, and Thursday’s clashes had been far greater in scale and depth than common.
The U.S. Embassy in Thailand famous studies “of preventing, together with rocket and artillery hearth, between Cambodian and Thai forces alongside the border,” and it stated the Thai authorities was “ordering the evacuation of sure areas.”
“U.S. residents residing or touring close to the Thailand-Cambodia border ought to observe route from Thai safety providers and seek the advice of native authorities authorities for the most recent info,” the embassy said.
The primary conflict Thursday morning occurred in an space close to the traditional Ta Muen Thom temple alongside the border of Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province.
A video from the Thai facet confirmed folks working from their properties and hiding in a concrete bunker as explosions sounded.
Sunny Chittawil/AP 
The Thai military stated its forces heard a drone earlier than seeing six armed Cambodian troopers shifting nearer to Thai army positions on the border. It stated Thai troopers tried to shout at them to defuse the state of affairs, however the Cambodian facet began to open hearth.
Cambodia’s Protection Ministry, nonetheless, stated Thailand deployed a drone first earlier than opening hearth, and that Cambodia “acted strictly inside the bounds of self-defense, responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity.”
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet wrote to the present president of the U.N. Safety Council asking for an pressing assembly “to cease Thailand’s aggression.”
The Thai military stated it later launched airstrikes on army targets in Cambodia, whereas the Cambodian Protection Ministry stated the Thai jets dropped bombs on a street close to the traditional Preah Vihear temple, which has been the positioning of a number of the most distinguished and violent previous conflicts between the international locations.
Thailand’s International Ministry accused Cambodia of attacking each army and non-military websites in Thailand, together with a hospital.
“The Royal Thai Authorities is ready to accentuate our self-defense measures if Cambodia persists in its armed assault and violations upon Thailand’s sovereignty in accordance with worldwide legislation and ideas,” stated Nikorndej Balankura, the ministry’s spokesperson.
OmerSukruGoksu/Getty 
Appearing Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai stated 11 folks have died, together with 10 civilians and one soldier. In the meantime 28 have been injured, 4 of whom had been troopers and the remainder civilians.
Cambodia launched no particulars on deaths or accidents on its facet.
On Wednesday, Thailand withdrew its ambassador to Cambodia and expelled the Cambodian ambassador to protest the mine blast that wounded its troopers.
Thai authorities alleged the mines had been newly laid alongside paths that either side had agreed had been imagined to be secure. They stated the mines had been Russian-made and never of a sort employed by Thailand’s army.
Cambodia rejected Thailand’s account as “baseless accusations,” stating that many unexploded mines and different ordnance are a legacy of twentieth century wars and unrest.
Cambodia additionally downgraded diplomatic relations, recalling all Cambodian employees on Thursday from its embassy in Bangkok.
The border dispute in Could that resulted within the demise of a Cambodian soldier has had political fallout in Thailand. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra got here beneath hearth for for being too fawning in a telephone name together with her Cambodian counterpart when she tried to defuse the state of affairs. She has since been suspended from workplace pending an investigation into potential ethics violations over the matter.
