Tensions along the Thailand-Cambodia border have escalated sharply on Monday as the Thai Army has confirmed launching air strikes against Cambodian military units.
The strikes thus came after intense clashes near the disputed frontier, with both the nations trading accusations about who initiated the latest round of violence. The renewed conflict has already claimed lot of lives, has also destroyed property, and has even forced tens of thousands of civilians from their homes.
According to Thailand’s military, the air strikes were launched only after Cambodian troops fired on Thai positions, thus killing one soldier and after injuring eight others.
Thai Army spokesman Winthai Suvaree have aslo said that the attacks were carried out strictly in self-defence and targeted only Cambodian military installations. He described the air strikes as “highly precise,” thus stating that the only aim was to halt Cambodian fire that had the caused Thai casualties.
Cambodia, however, strongly disputed Thailand’s statement. Information Minister Neth Pheaktra told AFP that the Thai attacks killed at least four Cambodian civilians and had also injured 10 more in Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces.
Cambodia’s defence ministry spokeswoman, Maly Socheata, had thus also accused Thailand of firing multiple tank rounds near the historic Tamone Thom temple, as well as deploying an F-16 jet to strike Cambodian forces earlier on Monday.
She has also added that homes were burned, the civilians also fled in fear, and at least one journalist was aso wounded by shrapnel from a Thai rocket.
The violence thus follows a long and troubled history of conflict along the border, particularly around ancient Hindu temple sites claimed by both nations.
A deadly flare-up earlier in the summer killed 43 people and displaced around 300,000 before ASEAN and global powers, thus including the United States and China, who intervened to help broker a ceasefire.
A follow-up agreement co-signed by then U.S. President Donald Trump was intended to stabilise relations, but Thailand suspended the pact in November after a landmine blast injured several Thai soldiers.
Since then, skirmishes have also erupted intermittently, culminating in the Sunday and Monday’s heavy exchanges. Thousands of civilians on both sides have been evacuated.
In Thailand, the Second Army Region said around 35,000 people had moved to temporary shelters. Cambodian authorities reported that more than 1,100 families had fled dangerous areas along the border.
Image Credit: X/@MeghUpdates
