Illustrative image. (Royal Thai Army)
Fighting has spread to 12 locations along the disputed Thai-Cambodia border, a Thai military official said on July 25, indicating that the confrontation is escalating.
The clashes broke out a day earlier at the ancient, disputed Ta Muen Thom temple site in the Thai province of Surin, which was claimed by Cambodia. Later, the clashes spread to six locations.
Thai Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, a military spokesperson, also told a news conference that Cambodian forces were continuing to use heavy weapons in their attacks on Thai territory. Video footage confirmed that Cambodia was still firing BM-21 Grad 122 mm rockets. At least one such launcher was, however, destroyed by the Thai military.
From its side, the Cambodian Defense Ministry said that the Thai military, using heavy weapons and cluster munitions, has launched attacks on seven locations inside the country.
Lieutenant General Maly Socheata said that the Thai military also deployed an F-16 fighter jet to bomb Cambodian territory.
Among the areas targeted were the Khloch and Tathav mountain areas and the vicinity of the Ta Muen and Ta Krabei Temples along the disputed border.
“The Cambodian army fought hard and was determined to prevent the Thai invaders from violating Cambodian sovereignty,” Maly Socheata was quoted by the Khmer Times as saying.
The death toll from clashes along the disputed border has risen to at least 14 in Thailand and one in Cambodia, according to authorities.
Multiple videos of the clashes were posted to social networks, including three that show Thai troops firing from a M198 155 mm towed howitzer and a ATMOS 2000 155 mm self-propelled howitzer as well as what is said to be a Thai fixed-wing suicide drone hitting a Cambodian military post.
The clashes broke out following tensions over mine explosions that wounded several Thai troops in the Thai province of Ubon Ratchathani on July 16 and July 23.
Thailand and Cambodia share a 817-kilometer border, largely mapped by the French when they controlled Cambodia as a colony.
Cambodia has previously sought a ruling from the United Nations International Court of Justice over disputed areas, including the site of the ongoing clash. Nevertheless, Thailand does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and claims that some areas along the border were never fully demarcated, including the sites of the ancient temples.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on July 25 that Beijing stands ready to play a constructive role in helping de-escalate the situation between Thailand and Cambodia.
“The root cause of this issue lies in the lingering consequences left by Western colonialists in the past, and it now needs to be faced calmly and handled properly,” he said in a meeting with Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn in Beijing, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Neither side has picked up yet on the Chinese offer. Military speaking, Thailand has the upper hand, especially when it comes to air power. Still, Cambodia is not short on troops.
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