PHANOM DONG RAK: Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery and airstrikes in their deadliest border clashes in over a decade, leaving at least 12 dead and dozens wounded. The fighting erupted near the disputed Emerald Triangle, where both nations and Laos share a border.
Cambodia fired rockets into Thailand, striking a petrol station in Sisaket province, killing mostly students inside a nearby convenience store. “I heard a loud noise three or four times, and when I looked over, there was a gigantic cloud of smoke,“ said Praphas Intaracheun, a local gardener.
Thailand retaliated with F-16 jets, hitting two Cambodian military targets. A hospital in Phanom Dong Rak, just 15 kilometres from the border, was also shelled, forcing partial evacuations. “We got a tip that there would be an attack from Cambodia,“ said an anonymous soldier stationed at the hospital.
Cambodian villagers fled as fighting intensified. “We dare not stay, they were fighting so bad that my house was shaking,“ said Say Vuthy, a 36-year-old evacuee.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting following a request from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Thailand has urged its citizens in Cambodia to leave immediately.
The clashes follow Thailand’s expulsion of Cambodia’s ambassador after five Thai soldiers were wounded by a landmine. Cambodia downgraded diplomatic ties, recalling most of its diplomats.
The conflict has also triggered political turmoil in Thailand, where Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faces suspension over a leaked diplomatic call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen.
