Thailand and Cambodia, currently engaged in a border dispute, continued fighting for a second consecutive day on the 25th (local time), with the death toll from both countries rising to 16.
According to the Thai military, hostilities resumed around 4 a.m. that day, with clashes breaking out in 12 locations, including Udon Ratchathani and Sisaket provinces in eastern Thailand. This marks an increase in the number of conflict sites compared to six locations the previous day. The Thai military reported that Cambodian forces launched attacks using heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 multiple rocket launchers.
Phumtham Wechayachai, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Prime Minister, who also serves as Minister of the Interior, stated, "Cambodia has launched attacks on several fronts, and Thailand is defending its territory." He warned, "Currently, both sides are confronting each other with heavy weapons, and the situation could escalate into a state of war."
According to the Thai Ministry of Public Health, since the previous day, 15 Thai nationals?including 14 civilians and 1 soldier?have been killed in the fighting, and 15 soldiers and 30 civilians have been injured. On the previous day, a gas station in Sisaket province, eastern Thailand, was hit by rocket fire and engulfed in flames, resulting in the deaths of six civilians, including students who were inside the convenience store at the station.
In Cambodia, a local official reported that a Buddhist temple in Oddar Meanchey province in the northwest was struck by a Thai rocket, killing a 70-year-old man who had taken shelter there. At least four other civilians were injured.
As the armed conflict between the two countries intensified, the international community began mediation efforts. Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia?the current chair of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), to which both Thailand and Cambodia belong?announced that he had spoken with the leaders of both countries and urged an immediate ceasefire. Tommy Pigott, Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, an ally of Thailand, also stated, "We call for the immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, and a peaceful resolution to the conflict." The United Nations Security Council is also scheduled to hold an emergency meeting at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on the 25th to discuss the ongoing clashes between the two countries.
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