Bangkok/Phnom Penh – Saba:
The death toll from ongoing armed clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces rose to at least 33 on Sunday, marking a dangerous escalation in the border conflict between the two Southeast Asian nations amid warnings of a potential full-scale war.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense reported 13 soldiers killed and 71 wounded in battles that have raged since Friday along disputed border areas.
Thailand’s military, for its part, confirmed the deaths of 20 individuals, including 14 civilians.
The clashes, which have intensified over the past two days to levels unseen since 2011, involved fighter jets, tanks, ground troops, and artillery shelling in contested zones. The escalation prompted the UN Security Council to call for an emergency session Sunday to contain the crisis.
Thai authorities warned that continued escalation could lead to war, and announced the evacuation of approximately 140,000 people from affected areas on Thailand’s side of the border.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hassan announced on Sunday that both Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to Malaysia’s mediation in the dispute.
Hassan told Bernama News Agency that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s Acting Prime Minister Pumtham Wechayachai are expected to arrive in Malaysia on Monday evening.
“They have full confidence in Malaysia and asked me to mediate,” he said, noting that both sides agreed no other country should be involved.
The decades-long dispute centers around sovereignty claims over contested border areas, particularly the region surrounding the Preah Vihear Temple—a UNESCO World Heritage site that has long been a flashpoint in bilateral tensions.
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