By John Feng and Brendan Cole
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Thailand and Cambodia have exchanged fire on their border and accused each other of starting armed clashes. Newsweek has produced a map that shows the location of the hostilities.
As of Thursday, at least 11 civilians were confirmed killed and 14 wounded, according to Thai authorities. Cambodia has not released information on casualties.
Thailand sealed all land borders with its neighbor because of the clashes, which Bangkok says are ongoing in at least six areas along the frontier.
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Newsweek has contacted the foreign ministries of Thailand and Cambodia for comment.
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Why It Matters
Thursday's clashes mark an escalation of a long-standing dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbors who share a 500-mile land border—largely mapped by France when it ruled Cambodia.
Cambodia has sought a ruling from the U.N.'s International Court of Justice over disputed areas, but Bangkok does not recognize the ICJ's jurisdiction and claims that some areas along the border were never fully demarcated.
Tensions were reignited in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash and Cambodia is requesting the United Nations Security Council convene an "urgent meeting" to stop the violence amid international concerns that it could spiral.
What To Know
Both sides have accused the other of firing the first shot on Thursday morning.
Thai Defense Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said Thursday clashes are ongoing in at least six areas along the border, the Associated Press (AP) reported and the Thai army said six people had been killed after shots were fired at a gas station in Si Sa Ket province.
The Thai army said it launched airstrikes on military targets in Cambodia, while the Cambodian Defense Ministry said Thai jets had dropped bombs near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
The first clash on Thursday morning took place near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple along the border of Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, the AP reported.
Video showed people running from their homes and explosions. One person was killed and three other civilians, including a 5-year-old boy, injured when Cambodia fired shots into a residential area, Surasant said.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a Facebook post that his country had "no choice but to respond with military force against the armed aggression."
Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Cambodia of attacking both military and non-military sites in Thailand, including a hospital, as Bangkok called on its neighbor to "stop all actions that violate Thailand's sovereignty."
What People Are Saying
Thailand's ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement that Cambodia must "take responsibility for the incidents that have occurred, cease attacks against civilian and military targets, and stop all actions that violate Thailand's sovereignty."
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a letter to the UN: "Considering the recent extremely grave aggressions by Thailand, which have gravely threatened peace and stability in the region, I earnestly request you to convene an urgent meeting of the Security Council to stop Thailand's aggression."
What Happens Next
Cambodia has said it was downgrading diplomatic relations, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok.
Amid calls for U.N. involvement to address the crisis, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University, told CNN, the conflict is "likely to get worse before it gets better."
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