Border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia intensified on Thursday, with Phnom Penh accusing Thai forces of bombing the casino hub of Poipet, multiple media outlets have reported. A major land crossing between the two countries, Poipet provides the closest legal casinos to Bangkok – a four hour drive away – and thus attracts large numbers of Thai gamblers, at least in peace time.
Cambodia’s defence ministry said Thai F-16 fighter jets dropped two bombs around 11 am on Thursday in Poipet municipality, Banteay Meanchey province – close to a military base. The ministry said reconnaissance drones were seen operating in the area following the strikes, which it described as a violation of Cambodian sovereignty.
Thai military officials confirmed operations in the border area but said strikes were directed exclusively at verified military targets. Colonel Richa Suksuwanon, deputy spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, said casinos and scam centres hit by Thai forces were being used as military bases housing drone command centres, launch points and weapons stockpiles used in attacks against Thailand.
Cambodia said Thailand deployed a wide range of heavy weaponry, including fighter jets, drones, artillery and cluster munitions, and shelled multiple locations along the frontier, damaging at least four casinos. The defence ministry called on the international community to condemn what it described as “repeated war crimes and unlawful activities,” and demanded Thailand to take responsibility for its actions.
[See more: Thailand-Cambodia conflict: Diplomatic efforts intensify as clashes continue]
The interior ministry in Phnom Penh meanwhile said displacement had exceeded 476,000 people as of Thursday morning, covering more than 144,000 families. Temporary shelters have been established across 11 provinces, including Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, Preah Vihear and Battambang, as civilians continue to flee areas near the fighting.
According to officials from both sides, the renewed clashes have killed dozens of people, including soldiers and civilians, and forced up to 800,000 from their homes. The violence stems from long-running disputes over the colonial-era demarcation of the countries’ 800-kilometre border.
Thailand and Cambodia have each blamed the other for triggering this latest escalation on 7 December, with Bangkok insisting it is targeting military infrastructure and Phnom Penh accusing Thai forces of unlawful attacks on civilian areas.
Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to produce a ceasefire, but representatives from both nations are scheduled to attend an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers meeting in Malaysia on 22 December, an effort initiated to help ease tensions.
