Bangkok, MINA – More than half a million people have been forced to flee their homes as heavy fighting between Thailand and Cambodia continued for a fourth consecutive day, officials from both countries said on Wednesday, as cited by Anadolu Agency.
Thai Defense Ministry spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said over 400,000 Thai residents living across seven border provinces had been evacuated to emergency shelters. More than 700 schools have been closed due to ongoing attacks, he said.
“Thailand stands firmly for peace, but peace must come with the safety and security of our citizens,” Surasant told a news conference.
On the Cambodian side, authorities reported the displacement of more than 127,000 people, according to the Khmer Times newspaper. The clashes, which began on Monday, have involved exchanges of rockets, artillery, and airpower. Bangkok has deployed F-16 fighter jets to strike Cambodian positions along the frontier.
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The violence has left nine Cambodian civilians dead, while Thailand confirmed six soldiers killed, with another Thai soldier reported dead late Wednesday. Cambodia’s Information Ministry said 46 people were injured in the country.
Thai PBS reported ongoing “fierce fighting,” including Cambodian rocket, mortar, and artillery bombardments targeting Thai territory. Thailand, meanwhile, has accused Cambodia of launching “grave and unprovoked military attacks,” according to formal letters submitted to the UN secretary-general and the president of the UN Security Council by Thailand’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Cherdchai Chaivaivid.
Thailand denied accusations that it initiated the clashes, calling such claims “deliberate misinformation intended to distort facts.”
Cambodia has recalled its athletes from the 33rd Southeast Asian Games 2025, currently taking place in Thailand, citing security risks. Cambodian authorities are also “collecting evidence” for a potential case at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to what they describe as Thai aggression violating Cambodia’s sovereignty, Fresh News reported.
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The renewed hostilities have shattered a peace agreement signed in October in Kuala Lumpur, witnessed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Washington has voiced concern over the escalating violence, with Trump expected to hold discussions with leaders of both nations.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand’s stance “remains the status quo,” adding that there will be no ceasefire at this time.
The two Southeast Asian neighbors share a long-running border dispute that has triggered periodic clashes, including a major confrontation in July that left at least 48 people dead. Eighteen Cambodian soldiers remain in Thai custody from incidents over the past five months.
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The land border between the two countries has remained closed since the July fighting, further restricting civilian movement and disrupting cross-border trade.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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