Murray Hunter
On Thursday July 24, Cambodia and Thai forces clashed for over 8 hours. This is after a Thai soldier was maned by a mine planted on what is claimed as Thai territory at Ta Muen Thom Temple in Surin province.Early on the morning of July 24 Cambodian drones were seen circling over Ta Muen Thom Temple area. Cambodian troops then allegedly opened fire on Thai troops at the temple in a skirmish that lasted over an hour. Sporadic fire erupted all along the Thai-Cambodia border, up to the Emerald Triangle,
being the border between Lao-Thai-Cambodia. By 9.30am Cambodian artillery fire started hitting houses in the Kantharalak Distrist in Sisaket province. BM-21 rockets were forced by the Cambodians from a base in Khao Laem Hill in Cambodia, hitting 6 km south in the Chong Chom border town in Thailand. Rocket attacks from Cambodia also opened up upon border areas in Surin, Ubon Ratchatthani, and Sisaket provinces.
Cambodian troops attempted to enter into Thailand. The Thais responded with artillery fire. At 11.00 am the Thai Air Force sent in F-16 fighter jets to attack Cambodian military bases.As a result of the battles along the border, a hospital in Surin province was hit by Cambodian missiles, a PTT Petrol Station was hit in Kantharalak, and residential areas in Sisaket, Surin were hit by rockets and artillery. The government has called for Thais to evacuate some adjacent border areas, where hotels in towns like Buriram, Surin, Sisaket, and Ubom Ratchatthani are full. Many businesses and affected areas have closed until further notice.
On the Thai side there are reports of 14 dead and many more injured, mainly civilians. Cambodian territory opposite the Thai border areas has a sparse population and there have so been no casualties reported.Militaries in control of disputeBoth the Cambodian and Thai civilian governments have little direct control of the situation. There is a civilian power vacuum in the border dispute as decisions and operations are in the hands of others.
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