Thailand-Cambodia border clashes kill 32, injure 130.
The death toll from the ongoing clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has risen to 32, with tensions escalating rapidly along the shared border. Both nations have reported casualties, including civilians and military personnel, amid fears that the violence could spiral into a broader regional conflict. The international community is urging restraint as diplomatic efforts intensify to prevent further bloodshed. Meanwhile, over 130 people have been injured, and residents in affected areas are fleeing their homes in search of safety and shelter.
Border Clashes Between Thailand and Cambodia Escalate: Death Toll Reaches 32 Amid Fears of Wider Conflict
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have taken a deadly turn, with both nations now grappling with the consequences of a brutal flare-up along their disputed border. The death toll from the ongoing violence has climbed to 32, as both sides report mounting casualties and injuries, raising fears that this long-standing dispute could spiral into a prolonged and devastating conflict in Southeast Asia.
In Cambodia, officials confirmed on Saturday that 12 more people have lost their lives due to the hostilities. She added that the death count includes a man who had sought refuge in a Buddhist pagoda that was struck by Thai rockets on Thursday. That incident sent shockwaves across the nation, especially among the Buddhist community, as images circulated of the once-serene temple now reduced to rubble.
“The people in border areas are terrified,” said Socheata. “They are not soldiers, they are just farmers, monks, children — now caught in the middle of a political and military struggle they didn’t ask for.”
Hospitals near the northern border, especially in Preah Vihear province, are struggling to manage the influx of patients, many of them suffering from shrapnel wounds, burns, and traumatic injuries. Makeshift clinics have been set up in school buildings and monasteries to treat the wounded.
Thailand, on the other side of the border, has not been spared. Families in Thai border villages have spoken of sleepless nights, sirens wailing, and the frightening thunder of artillery exchanges that have shaken their homes.
Thai Prime Minister Pramuan Saekor issued a statement late Friday night, offering condolences to the families of the deceased and promising decisive action to protect Thai sovereignty and civilians. He also called on international mediators to help calm tensions, acknowledging the “humanitarian catastrophe” that could unfold if the conflict continues unchecked.
“We do not want war, but we must defend our nation,” Prime Minister Saekor said during a televised address. “Our thoughts are with every child who has lost a parent, every villager who had to flee with only the clothes on their back.”
Evacuations are now underway on a massive scale. Cambodian newspaper The Khmer Times reported that around 20,000 residents have been evacuated from areas along the country’s northern border. Entire communities have been uprooted overnight, with families carrying children, bags of rice, and personal belongings as they fled their homes, unsure when — or if — they will return.
In Thailand, the situation is even more dire. Over 138,000 people have been forced to evacuate border towns, with approximately 300 emergency shelters opened to accommodate the growing number of displaced families. Schools have been shut down, and local markets remain eerily quiet.
The conflict, rooted in a decades-old dispute over a contested stretch of land near the ancient Preah Vihear Temple, re-ignited on Thursday when a landmine explosion wounded five Thai soldiers. The origins of the mine are still unclear, but its impact has been undeniable — igniting the worst outbreak of violence in the region in more than a decade.
Elderly residents recall similar clashes from past years and speak of them with dread, hoping this is not the beginning of something even worse.
“I thought we had left these dark days behind,” said Sophal, a 68-year-old Cambodian grandmother who fled her village with her three grandchildren. “But now it’s back. The fear, the fire, the loss. I just want peace for my family.”
Humanitarian agencies have begun mobilizing support, while foreign governments are calling for immediate de-escalation. Talks are expected to begin in the coming days, but for now, the people along the Thailand-Cambodia border can only wait — and hope — that the worst has not yet come.