Thailand-Cambodia clashes kill at least 15 as 120,000 flee border area

Escalation of military exchanges could lead to ‘state of war’, Thailand’s acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai says.

At least 14 people have been killed in Thailand and another in Cambodia in fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops, authorities say, as more than 120,000 people living along both sides of their border flee the ongoing violence.

Deadly fighting continued for a second day on Friday as both countries traded heavy artillery and rocket fire in the bloodiest military confrontation between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in more than a decade.

“The situation has intensified and could escalate into a state of war,” acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said he had backed a ceasefire proposal put forward by his Malaysian counterpart and chairperson of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Anwar Ibrahim, but added that Thailand withdrew its backing of the plan after initially agreeing to it.

In a Facebook post, Hun Manet described Thailand’s decision as “regrettable”.