In a recent development of the Thailand-Cambodia border clash, a Thai F-16 jet has bombed targets in Cambodia, as a simmering border dispute and diplomatic meltdown rapidly intensify.
Reuters reports that of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy along the disputed border, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday.
"We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters.
According to Reuters, Thailand and Cambodia blamed each other for the new outbreak of fighting that erupted early on Thursday in an area near the disputed Ta Moan Thom Temple, located in a border area in northwestern Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province. Cambodia has condemned the clash and has called for a UN meeting.
At least 12 people, including 11 Thai civilians, were killed in crossfire as tensions flared along the Thailand-Cambodia border, following weeks of heightened tensions that began on May 28. The clashes, which began after a Cambodian soldier died in the disputed Emerald Triangle, have led to airstrikes, diplomatic fallout, and a full border closure by Thailand.
Reportedly, Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence said the Thai jets dropped two bombs on a road, and that it “strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia”.
Adding that "the Cambodian army has no choice but to fight back and counterattack," the former prime minister Hun Sen of Cambodia wrote on social media that Thailand's military had shelled Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear, two provinces in Cambodia that border Thailand.
According to Varoth Chotpitayasunondh, spokesperson of Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, at least 14 people (13 civilians, 1 military personnel) have been killed and 46 others (32 civilians, 14 military personnel) have been wounded. Cambodia is yet to report casualties.
Peace Negotiation
Al Jazeera reports, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim claims that Thailand and Cambodia have demonstrated a "willingness" to stop additional hostilities.
As chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Anwar requested that both leaders declare an “immediate ceasefire to prevent further hostilities and to create space for peaceful dialogue and diplomatic resolution”.
“I welcome the positive signals and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh to consider this path forward”, he wrote on X, while also expressing Malaysia’s willingness to “assist and facilitate this process in the spirit of ASEAN unity and shared responsibility”.
Cambodian UNESCO World Heritage Site Damaged
In a statement, the nation's Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts denounced the "aggression" committed by Thailand's military, claiming that it resulted in "significant damage" to the Preah Vihear temple's surrounding region and monuments, which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, stated Al Jazeera.
The temple is a "sacred cultural site and historical legacy of the Cambodian people," and the accused act is in serious breach of international law and "may constitute war crimes," according to the statement.
