The death toll on both sides now stands at 32, as fears grow of a larger conflict breaking out between the neighbours.

Cambodian officials have reported another 12 people killed as a result of the ongoing border dispute with Thailand, with the death toll on both sides now standing at 32, as fears grow that the Southeast Asian neighbours may become engulfed in an extended conflict.

Cambodian Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Maly Socheata told reporters on Saturday that seven more civilians and five soldiers were confirmed dead. One other Cambodian man was earlier reported killed when Thai rockets hit the Buddhist pagoda he was hiding in on Thursday.

At least 50 Cambodian civilians and more than 20 soldiers have also been injured, the spokesperson said.

Thailand has reported 13 civilians – including children – as well as six soldiers killed over the past two days of fighting. An additional 29 Thai soldiers and 30 civilians have also been wounded in Cambodian attacks.

Cambodian newspaper The Khmer Times, quoting officials in Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province, said about 20,000 residents have so far been evacuated from the country’s northern border with Thailand.

More than 138,000 people have also been evacuated from Thailand’s border regions, with about 300 evacuation centres opened, according to Thai officials. On Friday, Thailand declared martial law in eight districts along the border with Cambodia.

The decades-old conflict – centred around a contested section of the Thai-Cambodian border – re-erupted on Thursday after a landmine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers.

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Tensions spilled over on Thursday with Thailand and Cambodia carrying out direct attacks on one another’s territory, with both sides accusing the other of opening fire first.

Thailand said the Cambodian military launched long-range rockets at civilian targets in the country, including a strike on a petrol station that killed at least six people.

The Thai military then scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia, including the reported strike on the Buddhist pagoda, which resulted in one civilian casualty.

Cambodia has accused Thailand of using a large number of cluster munitions – a controversial and widely condemned weapon – calling it a clear violation of international law.

Phumtham Wechayachai, Thailand’s acting prime minister, said on Friday that Cambodia may be guilty of war crimes due to the deaths of civilians, as well as damage caused to a hospital.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held an emergency meeting focused on the clashes behind closed doors late on Friday in New York, but did not issue an official public statement after the meeting.

The Associated Press news agency, citing an unnamed council diplomat, reported that all 15 UNSC members called on the parties to de-escalate fighting, show restraint and resolve the dispute peacefully.

In this photo released by the Royal Thai Army, Thai soldiers inspect a border area on Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Ubon Ratchathani province, where the Royal Thai Army said two anti-personnel landmines were found. (AP)

Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash News Live Updates: Cambodia has asked for an “immediate ceasefire” with Thailand, the country’s envoy to the United Nations said. Bangkok has also signalled an openness to talks after two days of deadly clashes that have left 32 dead and thousands displaced. At least 13 Cambodians have been killed, while at least six soldiers and 13 civilians, including children, have died in Thailand. As the conflict entered its third day, the border fighting between the two nations has forced tens of thousands to seek refuge, raising fears of a prolonged conflict.

UNSC meeting: The UN Security Council held an emergency closed-door meeting Friday in New York. Malaysia, which chairs the 10-nation regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to the hostilities and offered to mediate. While the council did not issue a formal statement, a diplomat said all 15 members urged both sides to deescalate, exercise restraint and resolve the dispute peacefully. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to a ceasefire and troop withdrawal from the border but requested more time to implement it, according to Malaysia’s Bernama national news agency.

Story continues below this ad What’s the conflict about? At the center of the dispute is an 11th-century Hindu temple known as Preah Vihear, or Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, which both Bangkok and Phnom Penh have long claimed. The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but Thailand has continued to assert claims over the surrounding land. Longstanding tensions erupted into fighting after a land mine explosion along the disputed border area wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday. Live Updates 09:51 (IST) 26 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: What’s the conflict about? At the center of the dispute is an 11th-century Hindu temple known as Preah Vihear, or Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, which both Bangkok and Phnom Penh have long claimed. The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but Thailand has continued to assert claims over the surrounding land. Longstanding tensions erupted into fighting after a land mine explosion along the disputed border area wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday. 09:44 (IST) 26 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: UNSC calls for de-escalation as clashes intensify The UN Security Council held an emergency closed-door meeting Friday in New York. Malaysia, which chairs the 10-nation regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to the hostilities and offered to mediate. While the council did not issue a formal statement, a diplomat said all 15 members urged both sides to deescalate, exercise restraint and resolve the dispute peacefully. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to a ceasefire and troop withdrawal from the border but requested more time to implement it, according to Malaysia’s Bernama national news agency. 09:44 (IST) 26 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: At least 32 killed on both sides as clashes enter day two At least 13 Cambodians have been killed in fighting with Thailand, while at least six soldiers and 13 civilians, including children, have died in Thailand, bringing the total death toll on both sides to 32. On its second day, the border fighting between the two nations has forced tens of thousands to seek refuge, raising fears of a prolonged conflict. 01:18 (IST) 26 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: Martial law, an ‘agreed’ ceasefire and heavy fire: Thailand-Cambodia clash escalates — what happened today? The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia escalated dramatically on Friday, with both sides trading heavy artillery and rocket fire in the deadliest confrontation in over a decade. At least 15 people have died — 14 in Thailand and one in Cambodia — while more than 120,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. -Read More 19:14 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: The phone call that became the political feud behind the fight Cambodia and Thailand, long-time neighbours with a history of border disputes, have found themselves in yet another spiral of violence—this time deadlier than most in recent memory. But what made this skirmish escalate so dramatically? Tensions sharply worsened last month when former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen publicly leaked a phone call with Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. In the call, Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” and was heard criticising a Thai military commander. The leak caused a political storm in Thailand and led to Paetongtarn’s suspension. The country’s Constitutional Court is currently considering her removal from office. Why Hun Sen chose to leak the call—despite his family’s decades-long close ties with the Shinawatras—remains unclear. But the fallout has now spilled onto the battlefield, with diplomatic channels collapsing and violence surging along the border. Read more about the call HERE. 18:57 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: How Thailand-Cambodia diplomatic relations worsened recently? Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have sharply escalated in recent months, with a series of border clashes and diplomatic tit-for-tat moves straining relations. In May, a Cambodian soldier was killed during military skirmishes along the disputed frontier, triggering a wave of retaliatory measures. Both sides exchanged accusations, shut down border crossings, and imposed trade restrictions—Cambodia blocked imports of Thai fuel, gas, fruits, and vegetables. The situation worsened in mid-July when three Thai soldiers were injured in a landmine blast during a border patrol. On Wednesday, another Thai soldier lost his right leg in a similar explosion. Thai authorities blamed Cambodia for the mines, while Phnom Penh denied responsibility, insisting that Thai troops had strayed off agreed paths and triggered dormant mines left over from past conflicts. In the aftermath of the latest incident, Thailand’s ruling Pheu Thai Party recalled its ambassador from Phnom Penh and declared Cambodia’s envoy persona non grata. Cambodia retaliated by announcing the withdrawal of all its diplomats from Thailand and ordering Thai diplomats to leave the country. 18:49 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: Thailand declares martial law in areas bordering Cambodia Thailand on Friday declared martial law in eight of its districts bordering Cambodia, as the countries traded strikes in a second deadly day of clashes. Apichart Sapprasert, commander of the military’s Border Defense Command for Chanthaburi and Trat provinces, announced that martial law has been imposed in seven districts of Chanthaburi and one district of Trat, according to AFP. 18:38 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: Cambodia supported ASEAN-led ceasefire proposal that Thailand rejected after initial backing Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has said he supported a ceasefire proposal put forward by Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN chair Anwar Ibrahim, but claimed that Thailand withdrew its support after initially agreeing to the plan. In a Facebook post, Hun Manet called Thailand’s move “regrettable” and said, “The key to resolving the ongoing armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia lies in the Thai side’s genuine willingness to accept a ceasefire.” 17:41 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: Cambodia accuses Thailand of ‘brutal territorial ambition’ Pen Bona, head of Cambodia’s government spokesperson unit, has accused Thailand of launching heavy attacks and targeting civilians amid escalating tensions between the two neighbours. “Cambodia is the victim of aggression by the Thai military, whose intention is to fulfil an expansionist ambition to seize Cambodian land,” he said during a news conference, as reported by Cambodian media. “Moreover, Thai armed forces have used heavy weapons, including dropping bombs on civilian targets, causing serious suffering in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces. This is a brutal territorial ambition that blatantly violates international law,” he added. Meanwhile, Thailand has levelled similar accusations, claiming Cambodian forces attacked civilian areas and caused casualties. Both countries continue to blame each other for sparking the latest round of violence. 15:35 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: What Malaysia said about mediation? Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who chairs the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), had earlier offered to facilitate talks between the two countries. “I welcome the positive signals and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh to consider this path forward,” Anwar wrote on Facebook late Thursday. 15:20 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: Thailand ‘ready’ for talks, but adds ‘have not had any response’ Thailand’s foreign ministry has signalled it is open to diplomatic talks with Cambodia to end the current border clashes, a report by The Guardian said. “We are ready, if Cambodia would like to settle this matter via diplomatic channels, bilaterally, or even through Malaysia, we are ready to do that…” foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told AFP. He added that there were signs the fighting was beginning to ease. Malaysia, who currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), have previously called for a ceasefire. 14:13 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: Thailand, Cambodia exchange heavy artillery as fighting expands for second day Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as their worst fighting in over a decade intensified and spread to new areas, despite international calls for a ceasefire. At least 16 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced in the escalating border battle. Both sides have blamed each other for starting the conflict and on Friday ratcheted up the rhetoric, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of deliberately targeting civilians and Cambodia alleging Thailand was using cluster munitions, a controversial and widely condemned ordnance. Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Cambodia had launched attacks on multiple fronts and Thailand was defending its territory. (Reuters) 12:50 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: Thailand says clashes with Cambodia reported in 12 areas Clashes between Thailand and Cambodia have taken place in 12 locations along their disputed border, a Thai military official said on Friday, indicating a broadening of the conflict that erupted a day earlier. Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, a military spokesperson, told a press conference Cambodia had continued to use heavy weapons. The Thai military had on Thursday reported clashes in six locations. (Reuters) 12:34 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: ‘Avoid border provinces,’ says Indian embassy in Thailand, issues travel advisory The Indian High Commission in Thailand Friday issued an advisory for its nationals in the country, urging them to avoid travelling to seven provinces amid ongoing unrest along the Thailand-Cambodia border. “In view of the situation near the Thailand-Cambodia border, all Indian travellers to Thailand are advised to check updates from Thai official sources, including TAT Newsroom,” the Indian embassy said in an X post. Attaching a post by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, it said that the places mentioned “are not recommended” for travelling. The tourism authority said that “several attractions” in Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Sisaket, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi and Trat provinces are not recommended for visiting. In view of the situation near Thailand-Cambodia border, all Indian travelers to Thailand are advised to check updates from Thai official sources, including TAT Newsroom.

As per Tourism Authority of Thailand places mentioned in the following link are not recommended for… https://t.co/ToeHLSQUYi — India in Thailand (@IndiainThailand) July 25, 2025 12:19 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: Thailand rejects mediation in Cambodia conflict, says open to bilateral talks Thailand has rejected mediation efforts from third countries to end the ongoing conflict with Cambodia, insisting that Phnom Penh cease attacks and resolve the situation only through bilateral talks, Reuters reported, quoting the foreign ministry. Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej said that the United States, China and Malaysia, which is the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, have offered to facilitate dialogue, but Bangkok is seeking a bilateral solution to the conflict “I don’t think we need any mediation from a third country yet,” Nikorndej said. 12:15 (IST) 25 Jul 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash Live Updates: Tens of thousands flee their homes as Thailand and Cambodia clash As many as tens of thousands of people sought refuge on Friday as border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia entered a second day, heightening fears of a broader conflict. The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later Friday in New York, while Malaysia, which chairs a regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to hostilities and offered to mediate. Meanwhile, the Thai Health Ministry on Friday said more than 58,000 have fled from villages to temporary shelters in four affected Thai border provinces, while Cambodian authorities said more than 4,000 people have evacuated from areas near the border. Tensions over a disputed border area erupted into fighting after a land mine explosion along the border on wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday.

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Australians are being warned to avoid more parts of holiday hotspot Thailand , as conflict with neighbouring Cambodia increases.

More areas have been added to the list of places Aussies should “reconsider” going to, as tens of thousands of local people sought refuge as border fighting entered a second day, heightening fears of an extended conflict.

“Armed conflict between Thai and Cambodian forces along the Thai-Cambodian border has increased,” Smartraveller says.

Thai residents evacuate from their homes following clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in Sisaket province, Thailand, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) (AP)

“We now advise reconsider your need to travel to eight districts in the Chanthaburi and Trat provinces. Martial law has been declared in these areas.”

Chanthaburi is a town on the Chanthaburi River famous for growing durian.

Trat is Thailand’s eastern-most province, about 315km from Bangkok.

Earlier warnings were made against going to the areas of Buriram, Si Saket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani provinces along the Cambodia border.

Smartraveller also warned Australians to reconsider their need to travel to the Cambodian border provinces of Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey.

The Cambodian provinces are just north of Siem Reap, a historic city globally famous for stunning temples such as Angkor Wat.

Smartraveller reports military strikes, violence and landmines and says there have been casualties.

Border crossings in the area are closed.

Call for end to conflict

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting behind closed doors on Friday in New York, while Malaysia, which chairs the 10-nation regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to hostilities and offered to mediate.

A Thai resident prepares to evacuate from home following clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in Sisaket province, Thailand, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) (AP)

The council did not issue a statement but a council diplomat said all 15 members called on the parties to deescalate, show restraint and resolve the dispute peacefully.

The council also urged the regional bloc, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations known as ASEAN, to help resolve the border fighting, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting was private.

Cambodia’s UN Ambassador Chhea Keo told reporters afterward that his country, which called for the emergency meeting, “asked for immediate ceasefires, unconditionally, and we also call for the peaceful solution to the dispute.”

He responded to accusations that Cambodia attacked Thailand asking how a small country with no air force could attack a much larger country with an army three times its size, stressing, “We do not do that.”

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UN Security Council urges restraint by both sides

Keo said the Security Council called for both sides to exercise “maximum restraint and resort to diplomatic solution” which is what Cambodia is calling for as well.

Cambodians who fled their villages take refuge in Wat Tham Kambar in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia, Friday, July 25, 2025, as Thai and Cambodian soldiers have clashed along the border between their countries in a major escalation. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (AP)

Asked what he expects next, the ambassador said: “Let’s see how the call can be heard by all the members there.”

Thailand’s UN ambassador left the meeting without stopping to talk to reporters.

The Thai Health Ministry said more than 58,000 have fled from villages to temporary shelters in four affected border provinces, while Cambodian authorities said more than 23,000 people have evacuated from areas near the border.

The latest flare-up in a long-running border dispute between the two countries has killed at least 19 people in Thailand — mostly civilians —while Cambodia confirmed its first fatality on Friday.

Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, said on Friday that Cambodia may be guilty of war crimes due to the deaths of civilians and damage caused to a hospital. He said Thailand had exercised the “utmost restraint and patience in the face of provocations and aggression” from Cambodia.

Tensions over a disputed border area erupted into fighting after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday.

Thai forces examine a landmine near the Cambodian border. (AP)



Clashes break out across border areas

The Thai military reported clashes early on Friday in multiple areas along the border, including near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple claimed by both sides.

Associated Press reporters near the border could hear sounds of artillery from early morning hours.

Entire town arrested, 236 children separated from families View Gallery

The Thai army said Cambodian forces had used heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket launchers, prompting what Thai officials described as “appropriate supporting fire” in return.

Thailand said six of its soldiers and 13 civilians were killed, including children, while 29 soldiers and 30 civilians were wounded.

Cambodia’s chief official in Oddar Meanchey province, Gen. Khov Ly, said a man died Thursday after a Thai rocket hit a Buddhist pagoda where he was hiding.

At least four civilians in the province were also wounded on Thursday.

The Cambodian Education Ministry claimed that on Friday two Thai rockets had hit a school compound in Oddar Meanchey but caused no injuries. It said all schools in the province have been closed.

The Thai army denied it targeted civilian sites in Cambodia, and accused Cambodia of using “human shields” by positioning their weapons near residential areas.

Thai people who fled clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers take shelter in Surin province, northeastern Thailand, Thursday, July 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunny Chittawil) (AP Photo/Sunny Chittawil)

Thousands flee villages near the border

As the fighting intensified, villagers on both sides have been caught in the crossfire, leading many to flee.

Around 600 people took shelter at a gymnasium in a university in Surin, Thailand, about 80 kilometres from the border. Evacuees sat in groups, on mats and blankets, and queued for food and drinks.

Seamstress Pornpan Sooksai was accompanied by four cats in two fabric carriers. She said she was doing laundry at her home near Ta Muen Thom temple when shelling began on Thursday.

“I just heard, boom, boom. We already prepared the cages, clothes and everything, so we ran and carried our things to the car. I was frightened, scared,” she recalled.

Rattana Meeying, another evacuee, said she had also lived through the 2011 clashes between the two countries but described this flare-up as worse.

“Children, old people, were hit out of the blue,” she said. “I never imagined it would be this violent.”

At the nearby Phanom Dong Rak hospital, periodic explosions could be heard on Friday, and a military truck arrived with three injured Thai soldiers, including one who had both legs severed.

Thursday’s shelling shattered windows at one of the hospital’s buildings and damaged its roof.

In the neighboring Sisaket province, more villagers took their belongings and left homes in a stream of cars, trucks and motorbikes after they received an evacuation order on Friday.

Across the border in Cambodia, villages on the outskirts of Oddar Meanchey province were largely deserted. Homes stood locked, while chickens and dogs roamed outside.

Some villagers earlier dug holes to create makeshift underground bunkers, covering them with wood, tarpaulin and zinc sheets to shield themselves from shelling.

Families with children were seen packing their belongings on home-made tractors to evacuate, though a few men refused to leave.

A remote Buddhist temple surrounded by rice fields accommodated several hundred evacuated villagers. Women rested in hammocks, some cradling babies, while children ran about. Makeshift plastic tents were being set up under the trees.

Veng Chin, 74, pleaded with both governments to negotiate a settlement “so that I can return to my home and work on the farm.”

A convenience store at a gas station is damaged after Cambodia fired artillery shells in Sisaket province, Thailand, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) (AP)

ASEAN chair calls for calm

The conflict marks a rare instance of armed confrontation between ASEAN member countries though Thailand has tangled with Cambodia before over the border and has had sporadic skirmishes with western neighbour Myanmar.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to a ceasefire and to withdraw their troops from the border, but requested more time before implementing the action, according to a report by Malaysia’s Bernama national news agency.

Anwar said he had spoken to both Cambodian leader Hun Manet and Thailand’s Phumtham and urged them to open space for “peaceful dialogue and diplomatic resolution,” while offering to have Malaysia facilitate talks.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for restraint and urged both countries to resolve disputes through dialogue, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq.

It’s the latest flareup in longstanding border tensions

The 800-kilometre frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief.

The last major flare-up in 2011 left 20 dead.

The current tensions broke out in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand’s domestic politics.

Things got worse when a land mine wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday, leading Bangkok to close the border and expel the Cambodian ambassador. The next day, clashes broke out along the border.

Click to expand Image Cambodians who fled Thai-Cambodian border clashes line up to receive assistance in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia, July 25, 2025. © 2025 Heng Sinith/AP Photo

(Bangkok) – Escalating border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia involving explosive weapons have killed and injured civilians since fighting began on July 24, 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. The two countries have longstanding border disputes, but there has been no serious military engagement since 2011.

Cambodia and Thailand have each accused the other of starting the fighting. The Thai Armed Forces headquarters issued a statement on July 24 that clashes began at a Thai military position near the contested Ta Muen Thom Temple in Surin province around 8:20 a.m.

The United Nations Security Council and concerned governments should press the Thai and Cambodian governments to abide by international humanitarian law and take all necessary steps to protect civilians threatened by the fighting.

“In just two days of fighting, clashes along the Cambodian-Thai border have killed and injured civilians, including children, and damaged medical facilities and religious and cultural sites,” said John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “Thai and Cambodian authorities should take all steps necessary to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure as required by international humanitarian law.”

On July 25, Thailand’s Public Health Ministry stated that 14 civilians, including children ages 15 and 8, had been killed and 31 wounded by Cambodian rocket and artillery attacks that hit a hospital, a supermarket, and houses. Thai authorities have evacuated over 100,000 people from border areas and closed at least 852 schools and 7 hospitals for safety reasons.

The Cambodian government has not released any information on casualties, but the spokesperson for the border province of Oddar Meanchey said on July 25 that “so far one civilian was killed and five people were injured during fighting” in the province.

Human Rights Watch geolocated three photographs posted on social media from a drone camera feed showing structural damage to a building and a Buddhist pagoda in Oddar Meanchey’s Kok Mon commune. A Cambodian official in Oddar Meanchey told the media that a man was killed on July 24 after a Thai rocket hit a pagoda where he was seeking safety.

The fighting quickly escalated on July 24 and spread to other areas in Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket, and Buriram provinces in Thailand and Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces in Cambodia. In addition to rocket and artillery attacks by Cambodian forces, the Thai armed forces deployed F-16 jets and drones to launch airstrikes along with artillery and rocket fire.

Cambodian government agencies have alleged that Thai airstrikes and artillery fire had damaged the UNESCO World Heritage site of Preah Vihear Temple in Cambodia and also claimed Thailand was using internationally prohibited cluster munitions. The Thai Armed Forces Headquarters initially denied these claims, but later on July 25 a Royal Thai Army press release and Thai military spokesperson clarified that the Thai armed forces used cluster munitions when necessary to target military objectives and when adhering to the legal principle of proportionality.

Neither Thailand nor Cambodia are parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans all use, but Human Rights Watch considers any use of the weapon in populated areas to be unlawfully indiscriminate. Thailand last used cluster munitions during a border dispute with Cambodia in February 2011.

Human Rights Watch urged Thailand and Cambodia not to use cluster munitions and to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which currently has 111 states parties.

International humanitarian law, or the laws of war, is applicable to the international armed conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. The laws of war obligate parties to a conflict to distinguish between combatants and civilians at all times. Civilians may never be the deliberate target of attacks. Warring parties are required to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians and civilian objects.

Attacks targeting civilians, that fail to discriminate between combatants and civilians, or are expected to cause disproportionate harm to civilians compared to the anticipated military gain are prohibited.

Using explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas poses a grave threat to civilians given the weapons’ inherent inaccuracy, large blast radius, and rapid delivery of multiple munitions at the same time. When used in villages, towns, and cities, explosive weapons cause immediate harm to civilians and civilian structures. Reverberating, or long-term, effects include damage to buildings and critical infrastructure that interferes with services such as health care and education.

Explosive weapons also cause displacement of the population and destroy cultural heritage and the environment. Both Cambodia and Thailand have endorsed the 2022 political declaration committing to adopt and implement national policies and practices to help avoid and address civilian harm, including by restricting or refraining from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

In addition, in two separate incidents on July 16 and 23, antipersonnel landmines apparently injured Thai soldiers who were patrolling in a disputed border area. After the first incident, Thailand alleged that Cambodian forces had recently emplaced the antipersonnel mines in Thai territory. Cambodia has denied these allegations.

Thailand and Cambodia have ratified the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which comprehensively prohibits any production, transfer, stockpiling, or use of antipersonnel mines. Under the treaty, states are obligated to prevent and suppress any noncompliance, including by taking measures to prosecute and punish those responsible for use of antipersonnel mines on their territory. Cambodia and Thailand should engage with Japan—whose disarmament representative in Geneva, Ambassador Tomiko Ichikawa, is currently serving as president of the Mine Ban Treaty—to activate the treaty’s “cooperative compliance” procedures.

In response to Cambodia’s request, the UN Security Council will convene an urgent meeting on July 25 to discuss the Thailand and Cambodia border clashes.

“Neither Thailand nor Cambodia appears to be paying attention to international humanitarian law at great expense to civilians,” Sifton said. “Diplomatic efforts underway need to prioritize protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

Cambodia calls for immediate ceasefire with Thailand as death toll rises

Cambodia has called for an “immediate” ceasefire with Thailand, as the two countries have seen more than 30 people killed, including civilians, in the ongoing border clashes.

Cambodia’s ambassador to the UN, Chhea Keo, said his country asked for a truce “unconditionally”, adding that Phnom Penh also wanted a “peaceful solution of the dispute”.

Thailand has not publicly commented on the proposal, while rejecting third-party mediation. It earlier declared martial law in eight districts bordering Cambodia.

At least 32 people – soldiers and civilians – have been killed and nearly 200,000 displaced in the two Southeast Asian countries, who accuse each other of firing the first shots on Thursday.

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On Saturday, Thailand’s military said the Cambodians launched attacks in a new area near the coast in the south, but were pushed back by the navy.

Earlier, Thailand reported fighting in its Surin, Ubon Ratchathani and Srisaket provinces, along the border with Cambodia.

[BBC]

Officials in Bangkok said 19 people – 13 civilians and six soldiers – have been killed in the country since Thursday.

Nearly 140,000 people have been evacuated, Thai officials added.

Cambodia’s defence ministry has reported 13 killed – eight civilians and five soldiers.

It said more than 35,000 people have fled their homes.

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Friday warned that the clashes could “move towards war”.

He said the fighting now included heavy weapons and had spread to 12 locations along the border.

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Thailand also accused Cambodia of firing into civilian areas and evacuated all villages deemed to be within the radius of its rockets.

Cambodia, for its part, accused Thailand of using cluster munitions. Cluster munitions are banned in much of the world because of their indiscriminate effect on civilian populations. Thailand has not responded to the allegations.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s foreign minister told the Reuters news agency there was “no need” for third-party mediation in the conflict, even as global leaders appealed for an immediate ceasefire.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who chairs the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), had earlier offered to facilitate talks between the two countries.

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The US also called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and a peaceful resolution of the conflict”.

Thailand says the clashes began with Cambodia’s military deploying drones to conduct surveillance of Thai troops near the border.

Cambodia says Thai soldiers initiated the conflict when they violated a prior agreement by advancing on a Khmer-Hindu temple near the border.

The dispute between the two countries dates back to more than 100 years ago, when the borders of the two nations were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia.

There have been sporadic clashes over the years which saw soldiers and civilians killed on both sides.

The latest tensions ramped up in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash, plunging bilateral ties to their lowest point in more than a decade.