LOC11:50
08:50 GMT
KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 (KUNA) -- Three people were killed on Thursday in hostile military clashes that broke off between Thai and Cambodian troops in a disputed area of their countries' shared border.
In a press statement, Thai army spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon said that one person was killed due to a Cambodian missile strike that targeted a residential area in Surin province, and in response Thai forces executed strikes on Cambodian military targets.
They also had to evacuate more than 40 thousand people from 86 Thai villages to safer areas as a precautionary measure as clashes escalated along the border strip, while the The Royal Thai Army's Second Army Area affirmed that Cambodian forces bombed a hospital in Surin province.
For his part, Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said that the situation on the border remains very sensitive and requires the Government to be careful in dealing with it, to ensure full compliance with international law.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura called on Cambodia to stop its attacks on military and civilian targets, noting the civilian casualties as a result of artillery shelling, adding that no ASEAN country has so far offered to mediate between Thailand and Cambodia, in a clear indication of the lack of regional action to contain the escalation.
On his part, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet sent a letter to the UNSC, calling for an urgent session to discuss what he described as "serious aggression" by Thailand, calling on Bangkok to immediately cease all hostilities and withdraw its troops into its territory, while explaining that his country had been forced to respond with the use of armed forces.
Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense spokeswoman Lieutenant General Mali Sucheata condemned what she called "Thai military aggression", accusing Thailand of violating a previous truce agreement.
Thailand's use of heavy weapons and its incursion into Cambodian territory is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, ASEAN and international law, Sushita added, warning of a broader threat to regional peace and stability.
The latest escalation follows Bangkok's announcement on Wednesday that it had withdrawn its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelled Cambodian ambassador after a Thai soldier was seriously injured by a landmine explosion, the second in a week.
In response, the Cambodian government announced that it was downgrading diplomatic relations with Bangkok to the level of "second Charge D'affaires" and ordered all staff of its embassy in Thailand to immediately return to the country.
The border dispute between the two countries has its roots in an area known as the "Emerald Triangle", where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos converge meet, and have witnessed frequent armed clashes, the last of which was last May, killing a Cambodian soldier and wounding several others. (pick up previous)
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