Thailand–Cambodia Border Clash Escalates: Troops Exchange Fire Amid Landmine Fallout

Thailand–Cambodia Border Clash Escalates: Thailand sent fighter jets to attack Cambodian military targets along the disputed border on Thursday, in a major escalation that could boil over into full-blown conflict.

A day after a Thai soldier lost his leg in a landmine blast, the two Southeast Asian neighbours are at their lowest point in years.

Troops from both sides opened fire early on July 24 in the poorly demarcated Emerald Triangle with both sides blaming each other, as statements confirmed.

Thai military said Cambodian troops fired at Ta Moan Thom temple and claimed Cambodia had deployed a drone and sent heavily armed troops into the area. A Cambodian military statement said their troops acted in self-defence.

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On July 23, Thailand recalled its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelled the Cambodian ambassador from Bangkok after a landmine exploded, wounding three Thai soldiers and accusations the Khmers had laid antipersonnel mines.

A spokeswoman for the Cambodian defence ministry, Maly Socheata, said their troops "exercised their right to defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity against the aggression of the Thai troops.

Socheata said Thailand "violated the territorial integrity of Cambodia".

Parts of two Cambodian provinces had been shelled by the Thai military, former leader Hun Sen said on Facebook, while urging people not to panic.

"Cambodia has always maintained a position of wanting to resolve issues peacefully, but in this case we have no choice but to respond with armed force against armed aggression," Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Facebook.

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Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet said Thailand attacked Cambodian army positions at Ta Muen Thom temple and Ta Krabey temple in Oddar Meanchey and expanded to the area along Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province and Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province.

Earlier Thursday, Cambodia said it was downgrading diplomatic relations with Thailand to the lowest level, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok. That was in response to Thailand closing its northeastern border crossings with Cambodia, withdrawing its ambassador and expelling the Cambodian ambassador on Wednesday to protest a land mine blast that wounded five Thai soldiers.

The two countries are at their worst in more than a decade after armed clashes in May killed one Cambodian soldier.

In the past two months, both countries have imposed tit-for-tat restrictions and strengthened troops presence along the border.

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