Bangkok: Some 12 people, including a child, have been killed and 30 others injured when Cambodian troops opened fire in an area near the Ta Moan Thom temple along the northeastern border with Thailand, the Thai army said on Thursday.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Cambodian troops fired rockets and artillery shells into Thai civilian areas along the border, leaving tens of people either dead or injured and causing damage to infrastructure. This incident has prompted a statement from the Thai army, which underlined Bangkok's right to respond against Cambodian "violations" of basic humanitarian principles.
Thailand's Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin condemned the "inhumane" Cambodian attacks and described them as "flagrant violations" of Thailand's sovereignty. He also highlighted a response plan to provide immediate aid to affected civilians during a press conference.
Meanwhile, Cambodian Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson Mali Socheata, in a press conference, denied that her country's military had deliberately targeted Thai civilians, asserting that the Cambodian attacks were acts of self-defense. The conflict has led to a downgrade in diplomatic ties between Thailand and Cambodia, following months of escalating tensions that culminated in armed clashes early on Thursday.