Thailand declared martial law in eight districts bordering Cambodia on Friday, as both nations continued an exchange of artillery fire that stretched into the second day. Thailand's Prime Minister has said that the ongoing conflict between the two nation may escalate into a full-fledged war soon.
Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Friday warned that the conflict "could escalate into a state of war" according to a report by BBC.
Sixteen people have reportedly been killed since the start of the conflict on Thursday.
Wechayachai said that the confrontation now involves heavy weapons. Cambodia has meanwhile accused Thailand of using banned cluster munitions at a border area within Cambodian territory.
Over one lakh people have been rendered homeless as a result of the conflict between the two neighbouring countries.
The clashes, involving small arms, artillery and missiles, mark the most serious confrontation between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in over a decade over a long-disputed border.
On Friday, both countries dispatched additional infantry regiments to four provinces and kept their fighter jets on standby. On Thursday, Thailand deployed its F-16 fighter jets to target six military installations in Cambodia as Phnom Penh shelled several Thai border towns.
Tensions had been simmering along the Thai-Cambodian border since May 28, when a Cambodian soldier was killed near Chong Bok, setting off blame and troop buildups on both sides. On July 23, a Thai soldier stepped on a landmine and lost a leg. Fighting erupted the next day at Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple, a flashpoint in the contested “Emerald Triangle”. Thailand responded by deploying F-16 fighter jets and artillery, claiming Cambodia had struck first.
Source: India Today
