Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military positions on Monday after a Thai soldier was killed, pushing a shaky US-brokered truce to the brink of collapse as renewed fighting broke out along their shared frontier.
Each side accused the other of shattering the peace by mounting attacks on border bases and personnel over the weekend, in the fiercest eruption of hostilities for months between the Southeast Asian neighbours.
The violence has forced thousands of civilians on both sides to flee their homes.
The Royal Thai Air Force said it had deployed F-16 fighter jets early on Monday “in response to Cambodian military actions” – including moving heavy weapons and combat units towards the disputed frontier – that it said posed “a direct threat to Thailand’s national security”.
“All missions were executed with caution, targeting only military infrastructure, weapons depots, command centres and logistical routes,” it added in a statement.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul convened an emergency meeting with top security officials as reports emerged of escalating gunfire along several sections of the 800km (500-mile) border.
