Thailand F-16 jet deployed against Cambodian forces as border clash escalates
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Thailand seals entire border with Cambodia after clashes kill at least two civilians
‘Intense and frightening’ – Thai villagers on border speak to BBC. People in the area have begun evacuating, including his own family. “It’s really serious. We’re in the middle of evacuating,” he says.
Panisa Aemocha
BBC Thai
Image source, Sutian Phiwchan
Sutian Phiwchan, a local resident of Ban Dan district in Thailand’s Buriram province near the Cambodian border, told the BBC that people in the area have begun evacuating, including his own family, whom he is now taking to a nearby shelter.
“It’s really serious. We’re in the middle of evacuating.”
He described the situation as intense and frightening, saying, “they’re firing directly over there. Right there [into the Thai border where people live]. I mean, the kids and everyone… we’re all really scared.”
When asked whether this clash was worse than previous ones, he replied, “is it worse this time? Yes, because they’re not just using rifles, there’s heavy artillery too.”
Thailand-Cambodia border clash latest: Thailand deploys F-16 fighter jet amid escalating tensions
Close Fighting erupts along disputed Thailand-Cambodia border. At least one person has been killed and three other civilians, including a 5-year-old boy, were seriously injured after Cambodia fired shots into a residential area. On Wednesday, at least five people were injured in a landmine blast.
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Thailand’s military deployed an F-16 fighter jet against Cambodia’s armed forces today, the Thai army said, as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes that killed at least one civilian.
The first shots rang out this morning near the ancient Ta Moan Thom temple, where both nations claimed the other fired first. The Thai Army said three civilians in Surin province were injured when Cambodia fired artillery shells into a residential area. It said residents in the area had been evacuated afterwards.
Thailand said at least one person has been killed and three other civilians, including a 5-year-old boy, were seriously injured after Cambodia fired shots into a residential area.
On Wednesday, at least five people were injured in Thailand in a landmine blast.
The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia’s envoy in Bangkok.
Cambodia’s defence ministry condemned what it called reckless and brutal Thai military aggression, accusing its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension.
Thailand said it was closing all border points with Cambodia.
Thailand F-16 jet deployed against Cambodian forces as border clash escalates
Soldiers salute as Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visits the Ranger Company 1202 on a Thailand-Cambodia border town of Aranyaprathet district. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday, as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes that have killed at least two civilians. Both sides say they will not back down from their positions. Both nations say they are committed to a peaceful resolution of the dispute, which is expected to take place by the end of the year. But both sides say the outcome of the conflict will depend on how the dispute is resolved. The winner will be decided by a vote of the public, with the winner likely to be the winner of a $1.2 billion prize. The loser will be the loser, who will have to pay a fine of up to $500,000 to settle the dispute. The result will be known as the Battle of the Bulge, which took place on July 24 and 25.
Item 1 of 4 Soldiers salute as Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visits the Ranger Company 1202 on a Thailand-Cambodia border town of Aranyaprathet district, as she battles to stay in power after drawing sharp criticism of her handling of a border row with Cambodia, Sa Kaeo province, Thailand, June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo
Summary Thailand says jet destroys military target
At least 2 civilians killed in Thailand, official says
Clash follows downgrade in diplomatic ties over landmine incidents
Cambodian former PM says provinces hit by Thai shelling
BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH, July 24 (Reuters) – A Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia on Thursday, both sides said, as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes that have killed at least two civilians.
Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy along the disputed border, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday.
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“We have used air power against military targets as planned,” Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand also closed its border with Cambodia.
Cambodia’s defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and that it “strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia”.
The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia’s envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area.
Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire.
“How many rounds have been fired? It’s countless,” an unidentified woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background.
For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817 km (508 miles) land border, which has led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery in 2011.
Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes.
LANDMINES
The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360 km from the Thai capital Bangkok.
“Artillery shell fell on people’s homes,” Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side.
“Two people have died,” he said, adding that district authorities had evacuated 40,000 civilians from 86 villages near the border to safer locations.
Thailand’s military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple.
Cambodian troops opened fire and two Thai soldiers were wounded, a Thai army spokesperson said, adding Cambodia had used multiple weapons, including rocket launchers.
A spokesperson for Cambodia’s defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence.
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate.
“We have to be careful,” he told reporters. “We will follow international law.”
An attempt by Thai premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resolve the recent tensions via a call with Cambodia’s influential former Prime Minister Hun Sen, the contents of which were leaked, kicked off a political storm in Thailand, leading to her suspension by a court.
Hun Sen said in a Facebook post that two Cambodian provinces had come under shelling from the Thai military.
Thailand this week accused Cambodia of placing landmines in a disputed area that injured three soldiers. Phnom Penh denied the claim and said the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered a mine left behind from decades of war.
Cambodia has many landmines left over from its civil war decades ago, numbering in the millions according to de-mining groups.
But Thailand maintains landmines have been placed at the border area recently, which Cambodia has described as baseless allegations.
Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Chayut Setboonsarng; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal and Saad Sayeed; Editing by Martin Petty and Raju Gopalakrishnan
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Two dead as Thai F-16 jet deployed against Cambodia
Two dead as Thai F-16 jet deployed against Cambodia in border dispute. One of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, Thai army says. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday. Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia’s envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area. Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon said: “We have used air power against military targets as planned” Thailand also closed its border with Cambodia on Thursday, a day after Cambodia said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension. Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817km land border.
Panu Wongcha-um | July 24, 2025
A F-16 fighter jet has fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, Thailand’s army says.
A Thai F-16 fighter jet has bombed targets in Cambodia as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes that have killed at least two civilians.
Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy along the disputed border, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said.
Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday.
“We have used air power against military targets as planned,” Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters.
Thailand also closed its border with Cambodia.
Cambodia’s defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and accused its neighbour of opening fire on its troops and violating an agreement designed to de-escalate tension.
The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia’s envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area.
Thai residents fled to shelters during the clashes between the two countries. (AP PHOTO)
Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire.
“How many rounds have been fired? It’s countless,” an unidentified woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background.
For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817km land border, which has led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a week-long exchange of artillery in 2011.
Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes.
The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360km from the Thai capital Bangkok.
“Artillery shell fell on people’s homes,” Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side.
“Two people have died,” he said, adding that district authorities had evacuated 40,000 civilians from 86 villages near the border to safer locations.
Thailand’s military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple.
Cambodian troops opened fire and two Thai soldiers were wounded, a Thai army spokesperson said, adding Cambodia had used multiple weapons, including rocket launchers.
A spokesperson for Cambodia’s defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence.
Thailand’s acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai urged caution, describing the situation as “delicate”. (EPA PHOTO)
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate.
“We have to be careful,” he told reporters. “We will follow international law.”
An attempt by Thai premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resolve the recent tensions via a call with Cambodia’s influential former prime minister Hun Sen, the contents of which were leaked, kicked off a political storm in Thailand, leading to her suspension by a court.
with AP
Thailand F-16 jet deployed against Cambodian forces as border clash escalates
Soldiers salute as Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visits the Ranger Company 1202 on a Thailand-Cambodia border town of Aranyaprathet district. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday, as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes that have killed at least two civilians. Both sides say they will not back down from their positions. Both nations say they are committed to a peaceful resolution of the dispute, which is expected to take place by the end of the year. But both sides say the outcome of the conflict will depend on how the dispute is resolved. The winner will be decided by a vote of the public, with the winner likely to be the winner of a $1.2 billion prize. The loser will be the loser, who will have to pay a fine of up to $500,000 to settle the dispute. The result will be known as the Battle of the Bulge, which took place on July 24 and 25.
Item 1 of 4 Soldiers salute as Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visits the Ranger Company 1202 on a Thailand-Cambodia border town of Aranyaprathet district, as she battles to stay in power after drawing sharp criticism of her handling of a border row with Cambodia, Sa Kaeo province, Thailand, June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo
Summary Thailand says jet destroys military target
At least 2 civilians killed in Thailand, official says
Clash follows downgrade in diplomatic ties over landmine incidents
Cambodian former PM says provinces hit by Thai shelling
BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH, July 24 (Reuters) – A Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia on Thursday, both sides said, as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes that have killed at least two civilians.
Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy along the disputed border, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday.
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“We have used air power against military targets as planned,” Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand also closed its border with Cambodia.
Cambodia’s defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and that it “strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia”.
The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia’s envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area.
Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire.
“How many rounds have been fired? It’s countless,” an unidentified woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background.
For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817 km (508 miles) land border, which has led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery in 2011.
Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes.
LANDMINES
The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360 km from the Thai capital Bangkok.
“Artillery shell fell on people’s homes,” Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side.
“Two people have died,” he said, adding that district authorities had evacuated 40,000 civilians from 86 villages near the border to safer locations.
Thailand’s military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple.
Cambodian troops opened fire and two Thai soldiers were wounded, a Thai army spokesperson said, adding Cambodia had used multiple weapons, including rocket launchers.
A spokesperson for Cambodia’s defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence.
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate.
“We have to be careful,” he told reporters. “We will follow international law.”
An attempt by Thai premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resolve the recent tensions via a call with Cambodia’s influential former Prime Minister Hun Sen, the contents of which were leaked, kicked off a political storm in Thailand, leading to her suspension by a court.
Hun Sen said in a Facebook post that two Cambodian provinces had come under shelling from the Thai military.
Thailand this week accused Cambodia of placing landmines in a disputed area that injured three soldiers. Phnom Penh denied the claim and said the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered a mine left behind from decades of war.
Cambodia has many landmines left over from its civil war decades ago, numbering in the millions according to de-mining groups.
But Thailand maintains landmines have been placed at the border area recently, which Cambodia has described as baseless allegations.
Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Chayut Setboonsarng; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal and Saad Sayeed; Editing by Martin Petty and Raju Gopalakrishnan
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