THAILAND has warned their border conflict against Cambodia could soon “move towards war” after another deadly day of fighting.
At least 16 people have died with over 140,000 Thai civilians being told to urgently evacuate their homes amid terrifying F-16 airstrikes and intense bombing.
ReutersThail artillery unit fires towards Cambodia after a terrifying second day of fighting[/caption]
ReutersA Thai Army drone hovers above a blast at a Cambodian arms depot[/caption]
ReutersOver 140,000 Thai civilians have been displaced[/caption]
Thailand has rained down strikes using their fighter jets in response to Cambodia firing BM-21 rockets.
The long-running border dispute has also seen artillery, tanks and troops battling it out on the ground.
In Thailand, clashes have centred around the Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces.
Soldiers and children are among those dead with/im dozens wounded on both sides.
Thailand has lost 14 civilians and one soldier with Cambodia only confirming the deaths of a civilian in Oddar Meanchey so far.
Over 138,000 Thai residents – mainly from Surin – have been displaced over the last 36 hours.
In Cambodia, some 1,500 families in Oddar Meanchey province have been evacuated.
Fears are rising over the crisis with the UN Security Council now set to hold an emergency meeting later today.
It comes after acting Thai PM Phumtham Wechayachai said if Cambodia refuses to stop their strikes soon then they would be risking an all-out 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 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.
ReutersThai Army vehicles drive along a road in Buriram as they respond to Cambodian attacks[/caption]
AFPA Cambodian self-propelled multiple rocket launcher being fired in Oddar Meanchey province[/caption]
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.
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 has been widely disputed.
Cambodian officials claim Thai soldiers sparked the conflict after deploying to the temple 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.
ReutersArtillery fires along the border[/caption]
Evacuees take shelter in a gymnasium on the grounds of Surindra Rajabhat UniversityGetty Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
