THAILAND has warned their border conflict against Cambodia could soon “move towards war” after another deadly day of fighting.
At least 16 individuals have lost their lives, with more than 140,000 Thai civilians being urgently instructed to evacuate their homes due to alarming F-16 airstrikes and intense bombings.
Thailand has rained down strikes using their fighter jets in response to Cambodia firing BM-21 rockets of their own along the border.
The long-running border dispute has also seen artillery, tanks and troops battling it out on the ground.
Concerns are mounting about the crisis, prompting the UN Security Council to convene an emergency meeting later today to address the severe fighting.
This meeting follows a statement by acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, warning that if Cambodia does not cease their attacks soon, they risk provoking a full-scale war.
He told reporters in Bangkok: “We have tried to compromise as we are neighbours, but we have now instructed the Thai military to act immediately in case of urgency.
“If the situation escalates, it could develop into war, though for now, it remains limited to clashes.”
The United States has also urged for an “immediate” end to the conflict alongside France.
China – a close ally of both nations – is “deeply concerned” about the clashes.
The raging conflict started on Thursday with both sides blaming each other of stoking tensions.
Thailand’s military had initially accused Cambodian troops of firing at a Thai army base in an area near the ancient Ta Muen Thom Temple at around 7:30am local time.
The religious building sits in the disputed territory in the south of Thailand’s Surin province and in Cambodia’s northwest.
Cambodia deployed an unmanned drone in front of the temple before sending in their troops with weapons, according to Thai officials.
Bangkok’s version of events have been widely disputed.
Cambodian officials claim Thai soldiers actually caused the first issues by arriving at the temple at around 06:30am and placing barbed wire around its nearby military base.
Thai soldiers then deployed a drone and fired shots “into the air”, according to a spokesperson from Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence.
Fighting soon erupted on both sides as Thailand sealed the land border amid the escalating tensions.
Inside century-long Thai-Cambodian border tensions
THE raging dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back to more than a century when their borders were first drawn up.
Today, the main issue revolves around who has ownership of the Preah Vihear temple.
In 2008, Cambodia tried to register the 11th Century temple located a disputed area as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
But Thailand, who claim it as their own, responded violently as protests spread across the region which left around 20 dead and thousands displaced.
The International Court of Justice later announced the disputed area belongs to Cambodia.
Despite the ruling, fights along the border have continued to kick off.
Over the years, sporadic clashes have seen soldiers and civilians ruthlessly killed on both sides.
The latest tensions ramped up in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash.
This plunged bilateral ties to their lowest point in over a decade.
In the past two months, Cambodia banned imports from Thailand such as fruits and vegetables.
They also stopped importing power and internet services across the border.
