Thailand-Cambodia conflict! 14 killed; 1,30,000 people displaced!
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Bangkok: The Thai administration declared martial law in eight districts that share a border with Cambodia after the ongoing conflict between the two nations turned violent, Agence France Presse reported.
The fighting between them has killed at least 14 people in Thailand, while Cambodia confirmed its first fatality on Friday. Tensions over a disputed border area erupted into fighting after a land mine explosion along the border, wounding five Thai soldiers on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
When the border disputes between the two have been going on for a long time, it turned into intense fighting with jets, artillery, tanks and troops on Thursday and displaced more than 1,30,000 people. The country traded deadly strikes on the second day of the conflict on Friday, according to AFP.
As fears of a broader conflict heighten, the UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later Friday in New York, while Malaysia, which chairs a regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to hostilities and offered to mediate, the Associated Press reported.
The Health Ministry said on Friday that more than 58,000 people had fled from villages to temporary shelters in four affected Thai border provinces, while Cambodian authorities said more than 4,000 people had evacuated from areas near the border.
The Thai military reported clashes early Friday in multiple areas, including along the border at Chong Bok and Phu Makhuea in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province, at Phanom Dong Rak in Surin province, and near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple. Associated Press reporters near the border could hear sounds of artillery from early morning hours.
The Thai army said Cambodian forces had used heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket launchers, prompting what Thai officials described as “appropriate supporting fire” in return.
Thailand said one soldier and 13 civilians were killed, including children, while 15 soldiers and 30 civilians were wounded.
