Thailand and Cambodia are once again locked in a violent border dispute, with the latest armed confrontation breaking out Thursday morning near two ancient temples straddling the frontier between Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey. Cambodia has since called for United Nations intervention, accusing Thailand of being a “war-hungry” nation.
According to the Thai Army, hostilities began around 7:35 AM when troops stationed at the Ta Muen temple spotted a Cambodian drone in the area. Minutes later, six armed Cambodian soldiers—one reportedly carrying a rocket-propelled grenade—approached a barbed-wire fence near a Thai military outpost. The Thai side claims that Cambodian forces initiated the firefight, which escalated rapidly.
Thailand has further accused Cambodia of launching a “targeted attack on civilians,” stating that two BM-21 rockets struck a residential area in Surin’s Kap Choeng district, injuring three civilians.
In response, Cambodia has squarely blamed Thailand for starting the clash. “The Thai military violated the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia by launching an armed assault on Cambodian forces stationed to defend the nation’s sovereign territory,” said Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata. She asserted that Cambodian troops acted in self-defence, in accordance with international law, to repel the Thai incursion.
The latest skirmish is part of a long-running territorial dispute in the geopolitically sensitive Emerald Triangle—where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos meet. The region, rich in cultural heritage and home to several ancient temples, has witnessed numerous armed flare-ups over the past two decades, including deadly clashes earlier this year.(Media reports)
