The conflict between Cambodia and Thailand intensifies as the number of casualties rises to 32 on both sides, stirring fears of an escalating conflict between the neighbouring nations.
According to reports from Cambodian authorities, the disputed border region has witnessed another 12 fatalities in the ongoing border dispute with Thailand, bringing the total number of deaths to 32 and escalating concerns that the Southeast Asian neighbours may be on the brink of a prolonged conflict.
A spokesperson from Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence, Maly Socheata, confirmed on Saturday that an additional seven civilians and five soldiers have been killed, and one other civilian lost his life when a Thai rocket struck a Buddhist pagoda he was seeking refuge in on Thursday.
The spokesperson also indicated that at least 50 Cambodian civilians and over 20 soldiers have sustained injuries.
Thailand, too, has reported 13 civilian casualties, including children, along with six soldiers killed in the past two days of clashes, while another 29 Thai soldiers and 30 civilians have been wounded in Cambodian attacks.
With approximately 20,000 residents evacuated from the northern border with Thailand, as reported by The Khmer Times, and 138,000 Thais fleeing their border regions, where 300 evacuation centres have been established, the situation continues to deteriorate, with Thailand imposing martial law in eight border districts.
The longstanding conflict, which revolves around a disputed stretch of the Thai-Cambodian border, flared up again on Thursday following a landmine explosion that wounded five Thai soldiers.
Hostilities escalated on Thursday when Thailand and Cambodia began launching attacks on each other’s territories, with both sides trading accusations of initiating hostilities.
Thailand claims the Cambodian military fired long-range rockets at civilian targets within its borders, resulting in at least six deaths, including a strike on a petrol station.
In response, the Thai military deployed an F-16 fighter jet to conduct bombing raids in Cambodia, including a strike on the Buddhist pagoda mentioned earlier.
Cambodia accuses Thailand of employing a substantial number of cluster munitions, a controversial and widely denounced weapon, deeming it a clear breach of international law.
Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, suggested on Friday that Cambodia might be culpable of war crimes, citing civilian deaths and damage to a hospital caused by the ongoing conflict.
On Friday, an emergency United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting was convened behind closed doors in New York to address the clashes, though no official public statement was released following the meeting.
According to an unnamed council diplomat as reported by the Associated Press, all 15 UNSC members urged both parties to de-escalate the fighting, exercise restraint, and strive for a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
A spokesperson from Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence, Maly Socheata, confirmed on Saturday that an additional seven civilians and five soldiers have been killed, and one other civilian lost his life when a Thai rocket struck a Buddhist pagoda he was seeking refuge in on Thursday.
The spokesperson also indicated that at least 50 Cambodian civilians and over 20 soldiers have sustained injuries.
Thailand, too, has reported 13 civilian casualties, including children, along with six soldiers killed in the past two days of clashes, while another 29 Thai soldiers and 30 civilians have been wounded in Cambodian attacks.
With approximately 20,000 residents evacuated from the northern border with Thailand, as reported by The Khmer Times, and 138,000 Thais fleeing their border regions, where 300 evacuation centres have been established, the situation continues to deteriorate, with Thailand imposing martial law in eight border districts.
The longstanding conflict, which revolves around a disputed stretch of the Thai-Cambodian border, flared up again on Thursday following a landmine explosion that wounded five Thai soldiers.
Hostilities escalated on Thursday when Thailand and Cambodia began launching attacks on each other’s territories, with both sides trading accusations of initiating hostilities.
Thailand claims the Cambodian military fired long-range rockets at civilian targets within its borders, resulting in at least six deaths, including a strike on a petrol station.
In response, the Thai military deployed an F-16 fighter jet to conduct bombing raids in Cambodia, including a strike on the Buddhist pagoda mentioned earlier.
Cambodia accuses Thailand of employing a substantial number of cluster munitions, a controversial and widely denounced weapon, deeming it a clear breach of international law.
Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, suggested on Friday that Cambodia might be culpable of war crimes, citing civilian deaths and damage to a hospital caused by the ongoing conflict.
On Friday, an emergency United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting was convened behind closed doors in New York to address the clashes, though no official public statement was released following the meeting.
According to an unnamed council diplomat as reported by the Associated Press, all 15 UNSC members urged both parties to de-escalate the fighting, exercise restraint, and strive for a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
