32 Killed, thousands flee Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Shafaq News - Phnom Penh/ Bangkok

At least 32 people were killed and more than 35,000 displaced during three days of cross-border fighting between Cambodia and Thailand, Cambodian Defense Ministry confirmed on Saturday.

The clashes, which began on Thursday, involved heavy artillery fire in disputed areas along Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province and Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province. Phnom Penh reported 13 Cambodian deaths — eight civilians and five soldiers — alongside 21 troops and more than 50 civilians wounded.

More than 35,800 civilians were also evacuated from high-risk zones in Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, and Pursat provinces. Meanwhile, Thai officials confirmed 15 fatalities, including one soldier.

The escalation followed a deadly border incident on May 28, when a Cambodian soldier was killed, reigniting a longstanding territorial dispute between the two Southeast Asian countries.

During a closed-door UN Security Council session on Friday, Cambodia’s Ambassador Chhea Keo called for “an immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” emphasizing the need for a peaceful resolution.

"How can they accuse us — a small nation with a military three times smaller and no air force — of initiating an attack against a much larger neighbor?" Keo remarked.

While the UN urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint and seek a diplomatic settlement, no ceasefire had been declared.

The border, particularly the area surrounding the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, has long been a source of friction. The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but tensions have persisted. Past confrontations in the region, including a major flare-up in 2011, resulted in dozens of fatalities and widespread displacement.