More than 100,000 people have fled the bloodiest border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia in a decade, Bangkok said Friday, as the death toll rose and international powers urged a halt to hostilities.
A long-running border dispute erupted into intense fighting with jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, and the UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later Friday.
The Thai interior ministry said more than 100,000 people from four border provinces had been moved to nearly 300 temporary shelters, while the kingdom’s health ministry announced that the death toll had risen to 14 — 13 civilians and one soldier.
In the Cambodian town of Samraong, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the border, AFP journalists reported hearing distant artillery fire on Friday morning.
As the guns started up, some families packed their children and belongings into vehicles and sped away.
“I live very close to the border. We are scared because they began shooting again at about 6:00 am,” Pro Bak, 41, told AFP.বিস্তারিত