Border Erupts: Thai-Cambodia Clashes Turn Deadly

Explosions echoed across the Thai-Cambodia border this week as clashes erupted between the two Southeast Asian nations, reigniting a long-simmering territorial dispute that has displaced tens of thousands and left dozens dead.

According to online media reports, a hospital corridor in northwestern Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province, a wounded Cambodian soldier lay on a stretcher, awaiting surgery to remove shrapnel from a Thai artillery shell.

“I have shrapnel in my back and it hasn’t been removed yet,” he said, grimacing in pain.

His wife and son sat beside him, visibly shaken.

“They took me to the military hospital first, but they didn’t have an X-ray machine.

“When I was hit, my clothes were blown off.”

Nearby, another injured soldier described how he was struck in the shoulder by fragments while fighting near the ancient Ta Krabei temple, one of several contested sites where violence has flared.

Cambodia claims it has regained control over areas surrounding both Ta Moan Thom and Ta Krabei temples after pushing back Thai troops, though these assertions remain unverified.

The flashpoints are part of a disputed 800km (500-mile) border riddled with contested zones, many near historic Hindu temples.

The last major confrontation occurred in 2011 around the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site that officially belongs to Cambodia.

By Saturday, the death toll had surpassed 30, with at least 13 reported in Cambodia and around 20 in Thailand. Most of the victims are civilians.

Civilian infrastructure, including homes and schools, has come under fire as artillery and rockets continue to pound both sides of the frontier.

In Oddar Meanchey province, civilians are bearing the brunt.

“We ran for our lives,” said Chheng Deab, a mother of two who fled her village just 5km from the border.

“I miss my home.”

She and dozens of others now sleep on classroom floors in a primary school, unsure of when they can return.

“If the shooting continues, we’ll keep moving,” she said.

“We don’t know when it’s going to end.”

Food is already scarce.

Chheng and others have begun rationing, with some returning to dangerous zones just to collect livestock and belongings left behind.

“We have little food left. If this continues, we’ll have nothing to eat.”

At another displacement site, villagers echoed similar concerns.

A local chief said residents have been pooling rice and water to survive.

One woman, who declined to be named, described the chaos of fleeing bombardment: “Bombs started falling when we were working in the fields.

“We didn’t have time to gather our things. We just ran.”

Thailand, meanwhile, has declared martial law in eight border districts and evacuated over 140,000 civilians.

In Cambodia, more than 38,000 people have been displaced across three provinces, with the brunt of the violence concentrated in Oddar Meanchey.

The latest fighting follows months of rising tensions.

In May, a Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief exchange of fire, sparking diplomatic retaliation from both countries.

Relations continued to deteriorate after Thai troops were reportedly injured by landmines in the disputed zone.

Bangkok accused Cambodia of laying new mines, a charge Phnom Penh denies, insisting the mines date back to its own civil war.

What followed was a tit-for-tat escalation.

Thailand expelled Cambodia’s ambassador; Cambodia responded in kind.

Days later, direct clashes broke out, with both sides accusing the other of firing the first shots.

On Friday, fighting intensified, with reports of heavy artillery, machine guns, and missile fire exchanged across the border.

Cambodia accused Thailand of using cluster munitions, banned by international treaties.

Thailand, in turn, alleged that Cambodian forces launched rockets into civilian areas, including a hospital.

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai suggested Cambodia could be guilty of war crimes.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet responded by accusing Thailand of deliberate and unprovoked attacks.

As accusations fly and violence escalates, both governments appear to be bracing for a prolonged conflict.

Civilians, caught in the middle, continue to suffer – displaced, hungry, and uncertain of what tomorrow will bring.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook