Egypt Daily News – Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have exploded into deadly violence along their shared border, with at least 14 people confirmed killed and more than 40,000 civilians displaced in the region’s most serious military confrontation in over a decade. The escalation, which has involved artillery fire, small arms clashes, and Thai airstrikes, marks a dangerous new chapter in a territorial dispute that has simmered for more than a century.
On Thursday, fighting erupted in multiple locations across the disputed frontier, with both sides exchanging blame for igniting the hostilities. Thai officials claim the clashes were triggered by a Cambodian landmine explosion earlier in the week that seriously injured Thai soldiers, prompting Bangkok to withdraw its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expel Cambodia’s envoy in retaliation.
Thai Defense Ministry spokesman Surasant Kongsiri confirmed that combat flared up in at least six separate areas. Thai fighter jets, including an F-16, were deployed—one of which conducted a precision strike on a Cambodian military target. The decision to use air power, Thai officials said, was made to ensure accuracy and minimize civilian casualties. However, Cambodian authorities denounced the airstrike as a “reckless and brutal military aggression.”
By Friday, the fighting had resumed near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province. Associated Press reporters near the scene heard sustained artillery fire throughout the morning. Cambodian officials reported at least four civilians injured and more than 4,000 people relocated to evacuation centers. However, full casualty figures on the Cambodian side remain unclear, as the government has yet to release comprehensive information.
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health reported that 13 civilians, including children, and one Thai soldier were killed. An additional 14 soldiers and 32 civilians were wounded. A hospital in Surin province was also struck by artillery, an incident Thai officials have described as a violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin labeled the attack a “war crime.”
In response to the escalating violence, Thailand has sealed its border with Cambodia. Officials said more than 40,000 civilians have been evacuated from three Thai provinces—many of them sheltering in fortified buildings repurposed as emergency centers. Local television footage showed terrified residents huddled in shelters made of sandbags and old tires. Plumes of smoke were seen rising from a gas station hit by shelling in Sisaket province.
“I’m worried about my children,” said Suphap Wongwai, an evacuee in Surin province. “My children are scared and crying.”
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has accused Thailand of launching a premeditated attack and called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene. In a letter to Pakistan, the current council president, Hun Manet called Thailand’s actions an “unprovoked and premeditated military aggression” and urged an international response to prevent further escalation.
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, meanwhile, denied the accusations and said the military acted in self-defense after repeated provocations, including the recent landmine incidents. “We remain committed to peaceful means and dialogue,” Phumtham told reporters. “But what happened was a provocation, and we had to defend ourselves.”
The decades-old dispute centers largely on sovereignty claims over the borderlands, including several ancient Hindu temples such as Ta Muen Thom and Preah Vihear. Although the International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear to Cambodia in 1962, tensions flared again in 2008 after Phnom Penh sought UNESCO World Heritage status for the site. Skirmishes since then have killed at least a dozen people and repeatedly disrupted diplomatic relations.
While Cambodia has sought further ICJ arbitration, Thailand maintains it does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction in this matter and prefers a bilateral resolution. The disagreement over legal frameworks has stalled progress on formally demarcating their 817-kilometer (508-mile) shared border.
The violence has prompted concern across Southeast Asia and beyond. The United States, a longstanding treaty ally of Thailand, issued a statement condemning the violence and calling for the protection of civilians and an immediate ceasefire. “We are gravely concerned by the escalating violence along the Thailand-Cambodia border,” said U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott. “The United States urges an immediate cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”
Neighboring countries have also expressed alarm. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he would be contacting both governments to push for de-escalation, while the Philippines, Vietnam, and China have called for restraint.
As diplomatic efforts ramp up, residents along the border remain trapped in uncertainty, with memories of past flare-ups and the current violence fueling fear of a broader conflict.
