The long-running border row between Cambodia and Thailand has escalated as Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets while Cambodia fired rockets and artillery.
Reports say, the neighbouring countries have been in a major dispute for decades, over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and another country in Asia, Laos meet.
The conflict escalated this Thursday again as Thai military deputy spokesperson Ritcha Suksuwanon says six jets were deployed, hitting two “Cambodian military targets on the ground”.
The Thai prime minister’s office also says a Cambodian artillery shell hit a house over the border, killing one civilian and wounding three others, including a five-year-old child.
Cambodian defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata blamed Thailand for the escalation saying the Thai military violated the territorial integrity of Cambodia by launching an armed assault on Cambodian forces while the Thai military blamed Cambodian soldiers for firing first, accused them of a targeted attack on civilians.