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RNZ News
5 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Thai fighter jet bombs Cambodian targets as border battle escalates
By Panarat Thepgumpanat , Chantha Lach and Panu Wongcha-um , Reuters Royal Thai Army soldiers are pictured on armoured vehicles on a road in Chachoengsao province. Photo: LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP Thailand scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia after artillery volleys from both sides killed at least 11 civilians, as border tension boiled over into rare armed conflict between the Southeast Asian countries. Both blamed each other for starting a morning clash at a disputed area of the border, which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling in at least six locations 209 kilometres (130 miles) apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century. Thailand positioned six F-16 fighter jets in an uncommon combat deployment, one of which was mobilised to strike a Cambodian military target, among measures Cambodia's foreign ministry called "reckless and brutal military aggression". Thailand's military said the use of air power was to strike with precision. The worst fighting between the countries in 13 years came after Thailand on Wednesday (local time) recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh and expelled Cambodia's envoy, in response to a second Thai soldier losing a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently by rival troops. The two countries have been braced for conflict since the killing of a Cambodian soldier late in May during a brief skirmish, with troops reinforced on both sides of the border amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. Thailand said there were 12 fatalities in three Thai provinces, 11 of them civilians including an eight-year-old boy. Authorities said 31 people were injured on Thursday. The number of Cambodian casualties was unclear. "We condemn this - using heavy weapons without a clear target, outside of conflict zones... the use of force and did not adhere to international law," Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters. "We remain committed to peaceful means and there should be discussions, but what happened was a provocation and we had to defend ourselves." Thailand's Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters a hospital was hit by shelling in Surin province, an attack he said should be considered "a war crime". Cambodian government, defence and foreign ministry officials at a press conference gave no indication of fatalities sustained or any estimate of the number of people evacuated. In a letter to Pakistan, the current president of the United Nations Security Council, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, urged the body to convene a meeting to stop what he called "unprovoked and premeditated military aggression" by Thailand in violation of international law. As clashes spread to different border areas, Thai villagers including children and the elderly fled to concrete shelters fortified with sandbags and car tires. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," an unidentified woman in Surin province told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service while hiding in the shelter as gunfire and explosions were heard in the background. Video footage showed a plume of thick black smoke rising from a gas station in the neighbouring Sisaket province, as firefighters rushed to extinguish the blaze. Thailand has evacuated more than 40,000 people from border areas, moving many to temporary shelters, where elderly people and small children gathered on floor mats as authorities prepared meals and unloaded food and bottled water from trucks. "I'm worried about my children," said Suphap Wongwai, an evacuee in Surin province. "My children are scared and crying." Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over jurisdiction of various undemarcated points along their 817km (508-mile) land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear central to the disputes. Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962 but tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage site. That led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths. Cambodia in June said it had asked the ICJ to resolve its disputes with Thailand, which says it has never recognised the court's jurisdiction and prefers a bilateral approach. Thailand's use of a fighter jet underlines its military advantage over Cambodia in terms of size and range of defence hardware. The clashes have caused jitters in the region, with the Philippines and Vietnam calling for restraint and China expressing willingness to play a role in promoting de-escalation. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Thailand and Cambodia are members, said he would speak to leaders of both countries. "The least we can expect from them is to just stand down and hopefully to try and enter into negotiations," Anwar said. The clashes erupted hours after a downgrade in diplomatic relations between the two countries following a series of landmine injuries to Thai soldiers patrolling border areas. Thailand accused Cambodia of placing the mines recently, which Phnom Penh dismissed as baseless. De-mining groups estimate as many as 4-6 million landmines remain in Cambodia following years of civil war. - Reuters
Reuters
5 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Thai fighter jet bombs Cambodian targets as border battle escalates
BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH, July 24 (Reuters) - Thailand scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia on Thursday after artillery volleys from both sides killed at least 11 civilians, as border tension boiled over into rare armed conflict between the Southeast Asian countries. Both blamed each other for starting a morning clash at a disputed area of the border, which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling in at least six locations 209 kilometres (130 miles) apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century. Thailand positioned six F-16 fighter jets in an uncommon combat deployment, one of which was mobilised to strike a Cambodian military target, among measures Cambodia's foreign ministry called "reckless and brutal military aggression". Thailand's military said the use of air power was to strike with precision. The worst fighting between the countries in 13 years came after Thailand on Wednesday recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh and expelled Cambodia's envoy, in response to a second Thai soldier losing a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently by rival troops. The two countries have been braced for conflict since the killing of a Cambodian soldier late in May during a brief skirmish, with troops reinforced on both sides of the border amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. Thailand said there were 12 fatalities in three Thai provinces, 11 of them civilians including an eight-year-old boy. Authorities said 31 people were injured on Thursday. The number of Cambodian casualties was unclear. "We condemn this - using heavy weapons without a clear target, outside of conflict zones... the use of force and did not adhere to international law," Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters. "We remain committed to peaceful means and there should be discussions, but what happened was a provocation and we had to defend ourselves." Thailand's Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters a hospital was hit by shelling in Surin province, an attack he said should be considered "a war crime". Cambodian government, defence and foreign ministry officials at a press conference gave no indication of fatalities sustained or any estimate of the number of people evacuated. In a letter to Pakistan, the current president of the United Nations Security Council, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, urged the body to convene a meeting to stop what he called "unprovoked and premeditated military aggression" by Thailand in violation of international law. As clashes spread to different border areas, Thai villagers including children and the elderly fled to concrete shelters fortified with sandbags and car tires. "How many rounds have been fired? It's countless," an unidentified woman in Surin province told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service while hiding in the shelter as gunfire and explosions were heard in the background. Video footage showed a plume of thick black smoke rising from a gas station in the neighbouring Sisaket province, as firefighters rushed to extinguish the blaze. Thailand has evacuated more than 40,000 people from border areas, moving many to temporary shelters, where elderly people and small children gathered on floor mats as authorities prepared meals and unloaded food and bottled water from trucks. "I'm worried about my children," said Suphap Wongwai, an evacuee in Surin province. "My children are scared and crying." Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over jurisdiction of various undemarcated points along their 817km (508-mile) land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear central to the disputes. Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962 but tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage site. That led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths. Cambodia in June said it had asked the ICJ to resolve its disputes with Thailand, which says it has never recognised the court's jurisdiction and prefers a bilateral approach. Thailand's use of a fighter jet underlines its military advantage over Cambodia in terms of size and range of defence hardware. The clashes have caused jitters in the region, with the Philippines and Vietnam calling for restraint and China expressing willingness to play a role in promoting de-escalation. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Thailand and Cambodia are members, said he would speak to leaders of both countries. "The least we can expect from them is to just stand down and hopefully to try and enter into negotiations," Anwar said. The clashes erupted hours after a downgrade in diplomatic relations between the two countries following a series of landmine injuries to Thai soldiers patrolling border areas. Thailand accused Cambodia of placing the mines recently, which Phnom Penh dismissed as baseless. De-mining groups estimate as many as 4-6 million landmines remain in Cambodia following years of civil war.
SBS Australia
6 days ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Thailand says 11 civilians killed after border clashes with Cambodia escalate
Thai and Cambodian troops have clashed near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple in Cambodia. A Thai F-16 fighter jet has since bombed targets in Cambodia, with the latter condemning its "military aggression". Thailand's health minister said 11 civilians and one soldier were killed in artillery shelling by Cambodian forces. Eleven Thai civilians are dead after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire in a sharp escalation of their conflict over a disputed border area. A Thai F-16 fighter jet has also bombed targets in Cambodia as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes. Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy along the disputed border, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand has closed its border with Cambodia. Cambodia's defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, condemning Thailand's "reckless and brutal military aggression" and saying its airstrikes were "unprovoked". It accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension, calling on it to withdraw its forces and "refrain from any further provocative actions that could escalate the situation". The clashes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok. Source: AAP / EPA/Kith Serey The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area. Thailand's health minister said 11 civilians, including a child, and one soldier were killed in artillery shelling by Cambodian forces while 24 civilians and seven military personnel were wounded. There was no immediate word of casualties in Cambodia. "The Royal Thai government is prepared to intensify our self-defence measures if Cambodia persists in its armed attack and violations upon Thailand's sovereignty," Thailand's ministry said in a statement. Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire. Clashes took place near disputed temple For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817km land border, which has led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a week-long exchange of artillery in 2011. Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes. The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Thailand and Cambodia, around 360km from the Thai capital Bangkok. A Cambodian BM-21 multiple rocket launcher returns from the Cambodia-Thai border. Source: AFP / STR Thailand's military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple. A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate. "We have to be careful," he told reporters. "We will follow international law." An attempt by Thai premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resolve the recent tensions via a call with Cambodia's influential former prime minister Hun Sen, the contents of which were leaked, kicked off a political storm in Thailand, leading to her suspension by a court.
ABC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Why is there conflict between Thailand and Cambodia?
Months of border tension between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated into an armed clash that has killed as many as 11 civilians and left others fleeing for safety. Both countries have exchanged gunfire on the border, and the Thai army has responded with air strikes at military targets, as each nation blamed the other for the escalation of conflict. Thai Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters that Cambodia's actions, including an attack on a hospital, should be considered war crimes. But what exactly is going on, and how did we get here? Here's what to know about the dispute between the two South-East Asian neighbours. Armed clashes broke out on Thursday in long-disputed border areas in Thailand and Cambodia, which included gunfire exchanges and shelling and rocket fire, which Thai authorities said killed at least 11 Thai civilians, including a five-year-old, and injured 14 others in three provinces. Thailand responded with air strikes. Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Clashes are ongoing in at least six areas along the border, the Thai Defence Ministry said. The first clash on Thursday morning happened in an area near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple, along the border of Surin and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. The dispute first flared in May after armed forces of Thailand and Cambodia briefly fired at each other in a relatively small, contested border area that each country claims as its own. Both sides accused each other and said they acted in self-defence. A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops, and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence. While the countries said afterwards they agreed to de-escalate the situation, Cambodian and Thai authorities continued to implement or threaten measures short of armed force, keeping tensions high. Thailand added tight restrictions at the border with Cambodia that stopped almost all crossings except for students, medical patients and others with essential needs. On Thursday, Thai authorities announced they were sealing the border entirely. Cambodia also banned Thai movies and TV shows, stopped the import of Thai fuel, fruits and vegetables, and boycotted some of its neighbours' international internet links and power supply. The neighbours are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient temples. The row has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight. Australian resident Olivia Tedeschi travelled from Cambodia to Thailand last week and told the ABC that foreign tourists like herself were "panicking" after all operating buses were cancelled and she was forced to fly. "You physically couldn't get from Cambodia to Thailand or vice versa by border land crossings," she said. Ms Tedeschi, who was volunteering in Cambodia, planned to catch the popular seven-hour bus from Siem Reap in the country's north-west to Bangkok last week. "Everyone catches the buses, but then all of a sudden, all of the buses started getting cancelled," she said. "They told us it was because the borders were shut." She said a young girl from Cambodia told her she was worried the conflict would escalate. The 26-year-old Tasmanian resident was able to catch a flight from Siem Reap to Bangkok, but said she was questioning if she should leave the country while she can. "Everyone was panicking when we heard the borders were closing," she said, referring to foreign travellers in hostels and popular online travel group chats and forums. "No one really knows what to do." The Department of Foreign Affairs updated its travel warnings for Thailand on the government's Smartraveller website on June 30, advising Australians to exercise a high degree of caution due to safety and security risks. It advised travellers in Cambodia to monitor the ongoing border dispute and follow the advice of local authorities. "I remember thinking 'oh, they'll probably open them back up in two weeks' [when I wanted to leave], but they didn't," she said about leaving Cambodia. "I'm not sure if I should leave Thailand or not." Border disputes have caused periodic tensions between the two neighbours. Thailand and Cambodia share more than 800 kilometres of land border. The contesting claims stem largely from a 1907 map drawn under French colonial rule that was used to separate Cambodia from Thailand. Cambodia has been using the map as a reference to claim territory, while Thailand has argued the map is inaccurate. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty over the temple area to Cambodia. The ruling became a major irritant in bilateral relations. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011, following several clashes between its army and Thai forces that killed about 20 people and displaced thousands. The court reaffirmed the ruling in Cambodia's favour in 2013. Cambodia has again turned to the international court to resolve the border disputes, but Thailand has rejected the court's jurisdiction. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate. "We have to be careful," he told reporters. "We will follow international law." An attempt by Thailand's then-premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resolve the recent tensions via a call with Cambodia's influential former Prime Minister Hun Sen, the contents of which were leaked, kicked off a political storm in Thailand, leading to her suspension by a court. ABC/Reuters
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Thailand-Cambodia border clash live: Thailand urges nationals to leave Cambodia after troops trade fire
Update: Date: 2025-07-24T04:13:01.000Z Title: Sutthirot Charoenthanasak Content: Neighbours accuse each other of opening fire first along the border of Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province Full report: Armed clashes break out between Thailand and Cambodia Adam Fulton Thu 24 Jul 2025 06.13 CEST First published on Thu 24 Jul 2025 05.58 CEST 6.13am CEST 06:13 A Thai army official has been quoted by Reuters as saying the military is readying to deploy six F-16 fighter jets along the Cambodian border. More on this when it comes to hand. 6.07am CEST 06:07 At least two Thai civilians have been killed and two others injured by the shelling from the Cambodian side on Thursday, a Thai district official told Reuters. About 40,000 civilians from 86 villages in Thailand have been evacuated to safer locations, the district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, , told the news agency. Updated at 6.08am CEST 6.00am CEST 06:00 Agence France-Presse is reporting that Thailand's embassy has urged nationals to leave Cambodia over the border clashes. It comes after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine in the disputed area. 5.58am CEST 05:58 Hello and welcome to our live coverage of clashes on the Thai-Cambodia border. Thai and Cambodian soldiers have fired at each other in a contested border area on Thursday, after the nations downgraded their diplomatic relations in a rapidly escalating dispute. It was not immediately clear if the clash was ongoing. A livestream video from Thailand's side showed people running from their homes and hiding in a concrete bunker Thursday morning as explosions sounded periodically. The clash happened in an area where the ancient Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple stands along the border of Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia Oddar Meanchey province. You can read our full report here:
