Thailand Cambodia border conflict escalates after Thailand deployed an F-16 fighter jet on Thursday to strike a Cambodian military target. The airstrike followed intense artillery exchanges that killed at least 11 civilians and injured dozens more across several disputed areas.
What started as small arms fire quickly evolved into heavy shelling across six different locations. Both sides accused each other of initiating the attack, fueling long-standing hostilities tied to a century-old territorial dispute.
Moreover, Thailand claimed the airstrike was a necessary precision response to a Cambodian assault, which allegedly included the use of drones and rocket launchers. Cambodia, however, denounced the move as “reckless military aggression” and called on the UN Security Council to intervene.
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In a separate statement, Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai labeled the attack a defensive action. He criticized the deployment of heavy weaponry close to civilian zones and pledged to uphold international law. Meanwhile, Thai health officials said shelling struck a hospital in Surin province and described the attack as something that could amount to a war crime.
