Thailand carries out more airstrikes on Cambodia as deadly border conflict flares

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) – Thailand on Thursday carried out more airstrikes on Cambodia, claiming its jet fighters struck a warehouse where the Cambodian army had stored rockets that have been deployed to deadly effect in combat that began last week.

The two nations have been fighting over patches of territory along the border that both claim. Several disputed areas contain the remains of centuries-old temples that have been damaged by the fighting, with Thailand claiming Cambodian forces had used them as bases.

The latest round of widespread fighting began on Dec. 8, a day after a border skirmish wounded two Thai soldiers. Since then combat has broken out on several fronts, with Thailand carrying out airstrikes in Cambodia with F-16 fighter jets and Cambodia firing thousands of medium-range BM-21 rockets from truck-mounted launchers that can shoot up to 40 at a time.

Cambodia reported Thursday that Thai jets had dropped bombs on Poipet, a city in northwestern Cambodia that in peaceful times is its main hub for land-based trade with Thailand. It said Thai F-16s had dropped three bombs on a civilian residential neighborhood, damaging part of a warehouse and causing slight injuries to two civilians.

Information Minister Neth Pheaktra later said a second bombing struck Serei Sophaon, 46 kilometers (29 miles) east of Poipet in Banteay Meanchey province.

Thailand’s military acknowledged it had bombed Poipet, but claimed that Cambodia had given the impression it had hit the center of the city, while the target was actually on its outskirts.

Thai Air Force spokesperson Air Marshal Jackkrit Thammavichai said the targeted warehouse was attacked because it was used to store BM-21 rockets, and that every effort was made to avoid injuring civilians. The city has been largely evacuated since the latest fighting began.

Media in Thailand reported that 21 soldiers have been killed since Dec. 8.

Thailand said one civilian died directly a result of combat, while 20 others died in circumstances related to the conflict, such as stress during evacuation.

Cambodia’s Interior Ministry said Thursday that 18 civilians were killed and 79 were injured since Dec. 8. It has not announced military deaths, which Thailand has estimated at more than 200.

Hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been evacuated to temporary displacement camps.

Each side blames the other for initiating the fighting and claims to be acting in self defense.

In July, five days of fighting ended with a ceasefire promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump. It had been brokered by Malaysia and pushed through by pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless Thailand and Cambodia agreed. It was formalized in more detail in October at a regional meeting in Malaysia that Trump attended.

Trump announced last week that the two countries had agreed at his urging to renew the ceasefire, but Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul denied making any commitment and Cambodia announced it was continuing to fight,

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has continued his efforts to make peace, and China, a close ally of Cambodia that also maintains good relations with Thailand, said it was sending a special envoy to both countries this week to seek an end to the fighting.

—

Associated Press writer Jintamas reported from Bangkok.