A fierce border battle between Thailand and Cambodia raged for a second day and spread to new fronts on Tuesday, as both countries accused each other of shelling civilian areas and Bangkok vowed to push on with its planned military operations.
With the neighbours trading blame for starting Monday’s renewed clashes, it was unclear how or if a fragile ceasefire brokered by US president Donald Trump in July could be salvaged.
A top adviser to Cambodia’s prime minister Hun Manet late on Tuesday told Reuters his country was “ready to talk at any time”, but Thailand’s foreign minister in an interview said he saw no potential for negotiations, adding the situation was not conducive to third-party mediation.
Thai tanks fired shells into a border casino complex being used by Cambodia’s army as a weapons storage area, Thailand’s army said, as fighter jets carried out air strikes for a second day on what the air force said were strategic military targets.
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Thailand has made clear its intent is to dent its neighbour’s ability to launch attacks, with a top general on Monday saying the army’s objective was to “cripple Cambodia’s military capability for a long time to come”.
Cambodia’s defence ministry said its troops had no choice but to take defensive action on Tuesday, accusing Thailand of “indiscriminately and brutally targeting civilian residential areas” with artillery shells, allegations Bangkok rejected.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio in a statement called for an immediate halt to hostilities and for a resumption of de-escalatory measures agreed at an October summit in the presence of Trump.
The fighting is the most intense since a five-day exchange of rockets and heavy artillery in July that marked their heaviest clashes in recent history, when at least 48 people were killed and 300,000 displaced before Trump intervened to broker the ceasefire.
Both countries have said they have evacuated hundreds of thousands of people from border areas. Cambodia’s defence ministry said nine civilians had been killed since Monday and 20 seriously injured, while Thai officials said four soldiers had been killed and 29 people injured.
Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul ruled out dialogue and said the military had a mission it must complete.
“We can’t stop now. We’ve already given our commitment to the armed forces that they can fully carry out the planned operations,” Mr Anutin told reporters.
Tensions have simmered since Thailand last month suspended de-escalation measures – including withdrawing troops and heavy weapons and freeing Cambodian prisoners of war – to vent its fury after a Thai soldier was maimed by a landmine. Thailand says the mine was among several laid recently by Cambodia, which rejects the allegation.
It is unclear what triggered the latest round of hostilities and there were no signs either side would step back immediately, despite both pledging their commitment to peace.
Fighting broke out in new locations on Tuesday along the 817km-border, stretching from the forested hills bordering Laos to picturesque coastal areas, where the Thai military said navy-led operations were ongoing to expel Cambodian soldiers.
It said Cambodia had used bomb-dropping drones and had unleashed an onslaught of artillery and rockets.
Cambodia’s influential former leader Hun Sen said his country had waited 24 hours to honour the ceasefire and allow for evacuations before launching counterattacks overnight.
“Cambodia needs peace, but Cambodia is compelled to counterattack to defend our territory,” he posted on Facebook, adding strong bunkers and weapons gave Cambodian forces an advantage against an “invading enemy”.
Suos Yara, a senior adviser to Cambodia’s premier, said bilateral talks would be “a very good idea”. Thai foreign minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow told Reuters his country was prepared to listen to Cambodia, but only if it ceased hostilities and made the first move.
“What Cambodia can do is stop what they’re doing,” he said, “and say that they’re ready to have talks.”
Verified videos from Cambodia showed long lines of vehicles leaving border areas and a thick plume of smoke in the sky after an explosion near the town of Samroang, about 21km from the border.
Evacuees at a camp in Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province described fleeing villages to the continuous sound of gunfire and booms of artillery.
“They were firing at the village non-stop. The fighting came too soon and it destroyed my house,” said Siv Nai (41).
Across the border in Thailand’s Buriram province, evacuees dozed on floor mats under large tents as others joined queues for meals and children played outside.
One of them, 34-year-old Laongdao Chulsri, fled her home on Monday for the second time this year after being displaced by the last round of fighting in July.
“I want it to end,” she said, holding her infant son and fighting back tears. “I want this to be the last fight to end it all.” – Reuters
