BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH: A Thai F-16 fighter jet carried out airstrikes in Cambodia on Thursday, marking a dangerous escalation in a long-standing border dispute that has already claimed at least nine civilian lives, including a child.
The Thai military confirmed the deployment of six F-16 jets, with one conducting the bombing operation.
“We have used air power against military targets as planned,“ said Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon.
Thailand subsequently closed its border with Cambodia.
Cambodia’s defence ministry condemned the attack, calling it “reckless and brutal military aggression” against its sovereignty.
The ministry stated that two bombs struck a road, escalating tensions further.
The clashes erupted after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia and announced the expulsion of Cambodia’s envoy in Bangkok.
The move followed allegations that a Thai soldier lost a limb to a landmine in the disputed border region, which Thailand claims was recently planted.
Thailand’s foreign ministry accused Cambodian forces of shelling a Thai military base and civilian areas, including a hospital, resulting in casualties.
“The Royal Thai Government is prepared to intensify our self-defence measures if Cambodia persists in its armed attack,“ the ministry warned.
Civilians in Thailand’s Surin province sought refuge in makeshift shelters as gunfire and explosions echoed nearby.
“How many rounds have been fired? It’s countless,“ one woman told Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS).
Cambodia denied initiating hostilities, calling Thailand’s airstrikes “unprovoked” and demanding troop withdrawals.
The two nations have disputed sections of their 817-km border for over a century, with past clashes leading to fatalities, including during a 2011 artillery exchange.
The latest violence began near the contested Ta Moan Thom temple, 360 km east of Bangkok.
Thai officials reported nine deaths across border provinces, including an 8-year-old boy in Surin.
“Artillery shells fell on people’s homes,“ said Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, a district chief in Surin, where 40,000 residents were evacuated.
Footage showed a gas station ablaze in Sisaket province, with six fatalities confirmed.
Cambodia’s defence ministry denied initiating the conflict, stating Thai troops had encroached first.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai urged caution, saying, “We will follow international law.”
The crisis worsened after Thai premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s leaked call with Cambodia’s ex-leader Hun Sen sparked political turmoil in Thailand.
Hun Sen later claimed Cambodian provinces were shelled by Thai forces.
Thailand accused Cambodia of planting new landmines, a claim Phnom Penh rejected, attributing injuries to old mines from past conflicts.
Cambodia remains one of the world’s most heavily mined countries. – Reuters
