Thailand has launched F-16 airstrikes against Cambodian military positions following a deadly escalation in border fighting that has killed soldiers and civilians on both sides. Thai forces say the strikes were ordered after a Thai soldier died in heavy gunfire exchanges near the disputed frontier.
Cambodia reports at least four civilians killed by shelling in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey, while on the Thai side, residents of Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani are fleeing as explosions rock border districts. Artillery duels, air raids and ground clashes continue as both sides accuse each other of starting the conflict.
More than 45,000 civilians have now been evacuated in Thailand alone, with schools, temples and sports halls converted into emergency shelters. Entire villages in Cambodia have also been emptied as families flee under fear of renewed air and artillery attacks.
Military experts warn this dangerous standoff could spiral into a wider regional conflict if strikes continue. With jets in the air and artillery on standby, Southeast Asia is now bracing for its most serious border crisis in years.
00:17Thailand has launched airstrikes against Cambodian military positions
00:22after a sharp escalation in border fighting.
00:25Thai F-16 fighter jets have been documented striking targets around Samarang city,
00:32with multiple sorties reported over the last two days
00:35as Bangkok responds to intense clashes along the disputed frontier.
00:40A Thai military spokesman says the operations were ordered
00:45after a Thai soldier was killed in heavy gunfire exchanges,
00:49calling the airstrikes a defensive measure
00:52to suppress Cambodian fire along the border.
00:56On the ground, the fighting has been fierce and prolonged.
01:00Artillery duels have rumbled for hours,
01:03while Thai Air Force jets continue to target Cambodian positions
01:07dug in close to the borderline.
01:10Both sides accuse each other of starting the latest round of hostilities,
01:15but the impact is now being felt far beyond the immediate front lines.
01:20Civilian toll on both sides
01:23Cambodia reports that at least four civilians have been killed
01:27by gunfire and shelling in Priyavihare and Odarmanship provinces
01:32as the cross-border fire intensifies.
01:35Villages close to military positions have come under repeated attack,
01:40forcing families to abandon homes with little more than the clothes they can carry.
01:45Cambodia's Information Ministry says multiple frontier communities have been cleared
01:51amid fears that the air and artillery campaign will widen.
01:56On the Thai side, residents of Si Saquet and Uban Ratchathani provinces
02:01are also hearing the sound of explosions and aircraft overhead.
02:06Local authorities report active fighting near several border districts,
02:11urging people to move away from impact zones and avoid farmland close to the frontier.
02:18For many villagers, the sudden shift from uneasy peace to open clashes
02:23has revived memories of past skirmishes around the same contested areas.
02:29Mass evacuations and humanitarian strain
02:33Thailand's Defence Ministry says more than 45,000 people have now been evacuated from danger zones
02:41along the border into designated shelters.
02:44Schools, temples and sports halls have been converted into temporary camps
02:50as officials rush to provide food, water and medical supplies for the displaced.
02:55Authorities believe the true number of people who have fled is even higher,
03:00with thousands more moving inland to stay with relatives rather than register in official centres.
03:07Across the border, Cambodian officials confirm that entire villages near the front line have emptied out.
03:14Farmers have left their fields unharvested, worried that returning could mean walking into stray shells or renewed airstrikes.
03:22Evacuated families on both sides now face deep uncertainty, unsure when or if it will be safe to go home,
03:31even as they hear new bursts of gunfire echoing from the direction of the frontier each night.
03:38Fears of wider conflict
03:40Cross-border hostilities are raising serious concerns over regional stability.
03:45Military analysts warn that the combination of air strikes, heavy artillery and entrenched positions dramatically increases the risk of miscalculation,
03:57especially if either side suffers higher casualties or damage to major population centres.
04:04If the current trajectory continues, they caution what is now a localized border conflict could expand into a wider confrontation that draws in outside mediators,
04:16or even neighbouring states trying to protect their own interests.
04:21For now, both governments publicly blame each other for triggering the latest clashes, while insisting they do not want war.
04:30But with jets in the air, artillery on standby, and tens of thousands already displaced,
04:36the question is no longer whether tensions are high.
04:40It is how quickly leaders in Bangkok and Phnom Penh can pull their forces back from the brink
04:46before the next salvo turns this dangerous standoff into a full-blown conflict.
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