Death toll rises to 16 as 120,000 flee border area

The death toll from ongoing clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces has risen to 15 in Thailand and one in Cambodia, authorities confirmed, as more than 120,000 people have fled their homes along both sides of the border,  reports Al Jazeera.

Deadly fighting continued for a second day on Friday as both countries traded heavy artillery and rocket fire, the bloodiest military confrontation between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in more than a decade.

A statement from Thailand’s military accused Cambodian forces of initiating the clashes on Thursday, saying they launched attacks using BM-21 rocket launchers, field artillery, and other heavy weapons. The Thai military responded, including with an airstrike by an F-16 fighter jet, which it described as a “targeted strike” on a Cambodian military installation.

Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry denounced the Thai airstrike as a “reckless and brutal military aggression.” Prime Minister Hun Sen, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, condemned the action in a formal letter to Pakistan, urging an emergency UN meeting and accusing Thailand of violating international law.

The cross-border fighting began on Thursday morning with small arms fire in a long-disputed border region. It quickly escalated, spreading across six locations and involving heavy shelling. The border areas in question have been a point of contention for years, with sovereignty claims remaining unresolved.

Thailand's acting Prime Minister, Phumtham Wechachay, condemned Cambodia’s actions, accusing Phnom Penh of using heavy weapons indiscriminately. “This use of force has been done without regard for international law,” he said. “We favour a peaceful solution, but this is a provocation. We are forced to respond in self-defence.”

As of Friday, the Thai military reported 12 fatalities, 11 of them civilians, and 31 injuries in three border provinces. Cambodia has not released official casualty figures, but local sources confirm that multiple military installations were damaged in the Thai airstrikes.

In affected Thai villages near the border, residents—including women, children, and the elderly—have taken refuge in concrete bunkers, reinforced with sandbags and tyres, amid fears of further shelling.

Diplomatic ties between the two countries have deteriorated sharply. Thailand has already withdrawn its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelled the Cambodian envoy following earlier skirmishes in May, during which a Cambodian soldier was killed.

The United States, a close ally of Thailand, has expressed deep concern over the violence. “We are saddened by reports of civilian casualties and call for an immediate cessation of hostilities,” said US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, urging both sides to protect civilians and seek a peaceful resolution.

The UN Security Council is expected to convene an emergency session today, as the international community watches closely amid fears of wider regional instability.