Thailand and Cambodia fought their bloodiest military clashes in more than a decade on Thursday, with at least 12 people killed as the two sides battled with tanks, artillery and ground forces over a disputed border zone.
The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet.
The decades-old squabble flared into bloody clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight.
In Thursday鈥檚 clashes, Cambodia fired rockets and artillery shells into Thailand and the Thai military scrambled F-16 jets to carry out air strikes.
The Thai public health ministry said one soldier and at least 11 civilians were killed, most of them in a rocket strike near a petrol station in Sisaket province.
Footage from the scene showed smoke pouring from a convenience store attached to the petrol station. Provincial officials said most of the dead were students inside the shop when the attack happened.
鈥業 heard a loud noise three or four times, and when I looked over, there was a gigantic cloud of smoke,鈥� Praphas Intaracheun, a 53-year-old gardener from Sisaket province, told AFP.
He was was refuelling at another petrol station around 300 metres (984 feet) from the one that was hit.
鈥業 was absolutely shocked. This is the first time I鈥檝e ever experienced anything like this,鈥� he said.
鈥業鈥檓 scared it might escalate during the night when you can鈥檛 see anything. I don鈥檛 even dare sleep.鈥�
The Thai public health ministry said 35 civilians have been wounded.
- 鈥業 don鈥檛 even dare sleep鈥� -
Fighting was focused on six locations, the Thai army said, with ground troops and tanks battling Cambodian forces for control of territory.
Six Thai air force jets were deployed, hitting two 鈥楥ambodian military targets on the ground鈥�, according to Thai military deputy spokesperson Ritcha Suksuwanon.
Cambodia has not yet commented on casualties on its side. Defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata refused to answer when asked about the issue at a news conference.
Both sides blame the other for starting the fighting, which erupted near two temples on the border.
The Cambodian defence ministry said its forces had responded in self-defence against an 鈥榓rmed assault鈥�.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to address what his foreign ministry labelled 鈥榰nprovoked military aggression鈥�.
Thailand鈥檚 government, meanwhile, accused Cambodia of being 鈥榠nhumane, brutal and war-hungry鈥� and said all border crossings had been shut and nearby residents evacuated.
The Thai military blamed Cambodian soldiers for firing first, and later accused them of a 鈥榯argeted attack on civilians鈥�, saying two BM-21 rockets had hit a community in Surin province, wounding three people.
Thailand鈥檚 embassy in Phnom Penh urged its nationals to leave Cambodia 鈥榓s soon as possible鈥�.
China, a close ally of Cambodia, said it was 鈥榙eeply concerned鈥� about the clashes, calling for dialogue -- while urging its citizens in Cambodia to avoid the border with Thailand.
- Long-running row -
The violence came hours after Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own envoy after five members of a Thai military patrol were wounded by a landmine.
Cambodia downgraded ties to 鈥榯he lowest level鈥� on Thursday, pulling out all but one of its diplomats and expelling their Thai equivalents from Phnom Penh.
The border row also kicked off a domestic political crisis in Thailand, where Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended from office pending an ethics probe over her conduct.
A diplomatic call between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, Cambodia鈥檚 former longtime ruler and father of Hun Manet, was leaked from the Cambodian side, sparking a judicial investigation.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called on both sides to 鈥榮tand down鈥� and start talks.
Malaysia currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which both Thailand and Cambodia are members.
