SURIN, Thailand —Renewed fighting along the Thailand Cambodia border continued without letup on Wednesday, displacing hundreds of thousands of residents as both militaries exchanged heavy fire across multiple provinces.
Associated Press teams positioned on the Thai side reported hearing outgoing artillery amid escalating hostilities rooted in longstanding territorial disputes. The clashes reignited after a skirmish on Sunday that wounded two Thai soldiers and effectively nullified a fragile ceasefire brokered in July through Malaysian mediation and pressure from United States President Donald Trump.
Trump said he expects to speak with both leaders on Thursday and expressed confidence he could again help halt the violence, although Washington had yet to make contact with Bangkok regarding any new ceasefire efforts.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand would continue defending its territory, while Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen vowed a strong counteroffensive. The latest round of fighting has killed more than a dozen people and forced the evacuation of about 400,000 residents in four Thai border provinces, Thai military spokesperson Rear Adm. Surasant Kongsiri said. Cambodia’s defense ministry reported more than 127,000 villagers evacuated on its side of the frontier.
Thailand said five soldiers had been killed and dozens wounded. Cambodia reported nine civilian deaths, including a baby, and 46 others injured.
Tensions also spilled into regional sports. Cambodia withdrew its delegation from the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, which opened Tuesday in Thailand, citing safety concerns raised by athletes’ families.
The July ceasefire, reaffirmed during an October meeting in Malaysia, had called for the removal of heavy weapons, improved coordination on clearing land mines and other measures to prevent renewed conflict. However, both countries continued trading accusations and intermittent fire across the border. Cambodia complained that 18 of its soldiers captured before the ceasefire had not been returned. Thailand accused Cambodia of laying new land mines that injured Thai troops.
The conflict intensified this week as Thailand deployed jet fighters to strike what it described as military targets. Cambodia positioned BM 21 rocket launchers with a range of up to 40 kilometers.
By mid afternoon Wednesday, the Thai army’s northeastern regional command reported that Cambodian forces had launched 79 BM 21 salvos totaling 3,160 rockets, used artillery 122 times and carried out 63 drone bomb attacks. A hospital in Surin province was evacuated after rockets landed about 500 meters away.
Thai forces also reported destroying a crane on a hill near the historic Preah Vihear temple, alleging it was being used for electronic surveillance and command operations. A curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. was imposed in four districts of Sa Kaeo province under existing martial law orders.
In Surin city, around 550 evacuees sheltered in a gymnasium as the fighting continued. Among them was 37 year old farmer Thidarat Homhual, who worried about her livestock and pets left behind.
“We are behind the front line. We can live like this. It is OK,” she said. “But I want it to be over.”
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
