Thailand-Cambodia Border Clashes Kill 14, Displace Over 100,000

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated into intense border clashes, resulting in at least 14 deaths, including civilians and a Thai soldier, and injuring many more. The conflict erupted after a landmine explosion injured Thai soldiers, prompting Thailand to recall its ambassador and expel Cambodia’s top diplomat, while Cambodia downgraded diplomatic ties in response. Both nations accuse each other of initiating the fighting, which includes artillery and rocket attacks on Thai villages and a hospital, and Thai airstrikes on Cambodian military targets near the disputed Preah Vihear temple area. The violence has displaced over 100,000 civilians and led Thailand to close its entire 817-kilometer border with Cambodia. Thailand’s military reported Cambodian forces firing on residential areas, while Cambodia condemned Thailand’s use of F-16 fighter jets to bomb roads and military positions, calling it a violation of sovereignty. The dispute stems from longstanding territorial claims based on differing colonial-era maps, with clashes occurring in multiple flashpoints along the contested border.