KUALA LUMPUR — The Thai army has confirmed that it launched airstrikes against Cambodian military positions after clashes erupted along the disputed border.
Thai army deputy spokesperson, Colonel Richa Suksuwanon, reported that air power was deployed to target military sites in response to earlier provocations by Cambodian forces.
“We have used air power against military targets as planned,” he told reporters.
According to the AP, the confrontation began on Thursday morning when Thai soldiers detected a Cambodian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) circling over the border area.
Soon after, six Cambodian soldiers were seen approaching Thailand’s military base near the Ta Muen Thom temple ruins, Thai authorities said.
According to the Thai military, efforts to defuse the situation through loudspeaker warnings were unsuccessful, with Cambodian forces opening fire shortly thereafter.
Cambodia’s Defence Ministry has accused Thailand of initiating the violence, claiming it was acting in self-defence against an “unprovoked incursion.”
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said that his country was forced to respond with military force.
“We have always sought peaceful solutions, but in this case, we had no choice but to defend ourselves against armed aggression,” he said, adding that Thailand had attacked Cambodian positions in Oddar Meanchey province, near the border.
As the situation escalated, Cambodian forces reportedly launched rockets into Thailand’s Si Sa Ket province and attacked military bases across the border.
By late morning, fighting had spread across six locations, with Thai forces deploying F-16 fighter jets in preparation for further operations, according to military sources.
The Thai military has also accused Cambodian forces of using civilian areas as shields during artillery attacks, claiming that artillery fire was positioned near residential structures.
“We observed artillery being set up in civilian areas, potentially using them as human shields,” a Thai army spokesperson was quoted as saying.
The border region has long been a source of tension between the two nations, with disputes over territorial boundaries and cultural heritage sites, such as the Ta Muen Thom temple.
The violence on Thursday marks a significant escalation in these tensions, with both countries preparing for a prolonged military engagement.
Thailand has ordered the evacuation of thousands of civilians from nearby villages, with more than 40,000 people relocated as a precautionary measure. The Thai embassy in Phnom Penh has advised its citizens to leave Cambodia immediately, unless absolutely necessary.
In a further diplomatic rift, Thailand expelled Cambodia’s ambassador and recalled its envoy, while Cambodia responded by downgrading ties and sending Thailand’s ambassador back to Bangkok.
The two countries are also trading accusations over recent landmine incidents along the border, with Thailand insisting that new mines have been planted in the area, while Cambodia maintains that any mines found are remnants from its civil war. – July 24, 2025