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Key Points
- Thai and Cambodian troops have engaged in conflict near the contentious Ta Moan Thom temple in Cambodia.
- A Thai F-16 fighter jet subsequently struck targets in Cambodia, which condemned the action as “military aggression”.
- According to Thailand’s health minister, artillery shelling by Cambodian forces resulted in the deaths of 11 civilians and one soldier.
Cambodia accused its neighbor of firing on its troops and breaching an agreement aimed at reducing tension, urging Thailand to withdraw its forces and “avoid any further provocative actions that could intensify the situation”.
The clashes ensued after Thailand withdrew its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and announced its decision to expel the Cambodian 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.
Thai residents in the border province of Surin fled to shelters reinforced with concrete, sandbags, and car tires as the two nations exchanged fire.
Clashes took place near disputed temple
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.
