Bangkok: Thailand on Thursday launched airstrikes on Cambodian military positions in response to artillery shelling that killed two Thai civilians and injured two others earlier in the day, escalating months-long tensions between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
The Thai military confirmed that six F-16 fighter jets targeted two Cambodian military sites near the contested border region. The strikes followed a gunfire exchange between Thai and Cambodian troops near the ancient Hindu temple of Prasat Ta Muen Thom, located along the disputed border between Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province.
Thai officials alleged that Cambodian forces provoked the clash by flying a drone over Thai territory and opening fire. Cambodia, however, denied the charge, accusing Thailand of violating its sovereignty. “Our forces acted in self-defence,” Cambodia’s defence ministry said in a statement.
Tensions have simmered since May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a border skirmish. The situation worsened recently after a landmine blast injured five Thai soldiers, leading Thailand to expel Cambodia’s envoy.
Former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, father of current PM Hun Manet, condemned the airstrikes and said Cambodia had “no choice but to respond to armed aggression.”
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai described the situation as “delicate” and said Bangkok would act “cautiously and in line with international law.”
