War in Asia: Thailand and Cambodia exchange heavy artillery strikes
25 July 09:47
The armed forces of Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for the second time on Friday, July 25, in what has become the worst border conflict between the countries in more than a decade. According to official sources, at least 16 people were killed, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports citing Reuters.
The Thai military command reported active fighting in the early morning in the provinces of Ubon Ratchathani and Surin. According to the Thai military, the Cambodian side is using heavy artillery and Russian BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers. Due to the escalation of the conflict, the Thai authorities evacuated more than 100 thousand civilians from the border areas.
Civilian casualties continue to rise. According to the latest data from the Thai Ministry of Health, the death toll on the Thai side has reached 15 people, 14 of whom are civilians. 46 people were injured, including 15 soldiers. The Cambodian side has officially confirmed the death of one civilian and the injury of five in Oddarmeanchey province, from where 1500 families have been evacuated.
The conflict erupted on Thursday after a second Thai soldier lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok claims was recently planted by the Cambodian military. Phnom Penh categorically denies these allegations, calling them baseless. The dispute quickly escalated from a small arms skirmish to large-scale artillery fire at at least six locations along the 209-kilometer stretch of border.
The Thai military command stated that “Cambodian forces are carrying out systematic shelling using heavy weapons, field artillery and BM-21 rocket systems.” In response, Thai forces opened “support fire according to the tactical situation.” Both sides accuse each other of initiating the fighting.
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Thailand demonstrated its military superiority by deploying six F-16 fighter jets on Thursday in a rare combat use. One of the planes was used to strike a Cambodian military target, which Phnom Penh called
“reckless and brutal military aggression.”
According to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, Cambodia has no fighter aircraft and is far behind Thailand in terms of defense capabilities.
The international community is calling for an immediate ceasefire. The United States, which is Thailand’s longtime treaty ally, is demanding
“an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians, and a peaceful settlement.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who heads the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), held talks with the leaders of both countries, urging them to find a peaceful solution.
Reuters journalists in Surin province reported intermittent explosions on Friday amid a large-scale deployment of Thai armed forces. The military convoy, which included about a dozen trucks, armored vehicles and tanks, was traveling along provincial roads among rice fields toward the border in this predominantly agricultural region.
The current conflict has erupted in the context of a long-standing territorial dispute between the countries over sections of the border, sovereignty over which has been disputed for more than a century. Tensions escalated after Thailand recalled its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelled a Cambodian diplomat on the eve of the fighting, indicating the seriousness of the diplomatic crisis between the neighboring states.
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