Death toll in Thailand-Cambodia border clashes hits 32, over 130 injured

As rumors spread that the Southeast Asian neighbors could become engulfed in an extended conflict, Cambodian officials reported another 12 deaths as a result of the ongoing border dispute with Thailand, with 32 of those deaths currently coming from both sides.

Seven more civilians and five soldiers have been confirmed dead, according to spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, Maly Socheata, who spoke to reporters on Saturday. Another Cambodian man was reported dead on Thursday when Thai rockets struck the Buddhist pagoda he was hiding inside.

According to the spokesperson, at least 50 civilians in Cambodia and more than 20 soldiers have also been hurt.

In Thailand, six soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed in the past two days, including six children. In addition to the 29 killed in Cambodian attacks, 30 civilians and 29 Thai soldiers were hurt.

According to the Cambodian newspaper The Khmer Times, about 20 000 people have been reportedly been evacuated from Thailand’s northern border following a quoting from officials in Preah Vihear province.

About 300 new evacuation centers have been opened in Thailand’s border regions, according to Thai officials, bringing in more than 138 000 people. Eight districts along Thailand’s border with Cambodia were declared martial law on Friday.

Five Thai soldiers were seriously injured on Thursday when a landmine explosion along the border returned after decades of conflict centered on a tense section of the Thai-Cambodian border.

Thailand and Cambodia launched direct attacks on one another’s territory on Thursday, sparking a roiling insurgence on both sides, with one accusing the other of opening fire first.

Thailand claimed that the Cambodian military launched long-range rockets at civilian targets in the country, including a fatal attack on a gas station at least six times.

The Thai military then launched an F-16 fighter jet to bomb Cambodian targets, including the alleged attack on the Buddhist pagoda, which left one civilian dead.

Thailand has accused Cambodia of using a large number of cluster munitions, a contentious and frequently criticized weapon, and that use is a flagrant violation of international law.

Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, stated on Friday that the country may have committed war crimes as a result of the deaths of civilians and the hospital’s damage.

Late on Friday in New York, the UN Security Council (UNSC) held an emergency meeting to discuss the altercations that occurred behind closed doors, but it did not release an official statement.