KANTHARALAK, Thailand — A rocket attack from Cambodia on Sunday killed a 63-year-old Thai villager, marking the first civilian death reported as a direct result of the recent fighting along the border between the two Southeast Asian nations.
Border Clashes Continue
Both Thailand and Cambodia have confirmed that large-scale fighting continued Sunday, stemming from a skirmish on Dec. 7 that wounded two Thai soldiers. The conflict centers around longstanding competing claims to patches of frontier land, some of which contain centuries-old temple ruins.
More than two dozen people on both sides of the border have been officially reported killed in the past week’s fighting, with over half a million displaced.
The Associated Press reported that its reporters arrived at the scene of Sunday’s rocket impact in Sisaket province’s Kantharalak District approximately 10 minutes after it occurred. They observed the body of the victim, identified as Don Patchapan, being placed on a stretcher and taken to an ambulance.
A nearby house was ablaze, with village volunteers attempting to extinguish the fire using buckets of water. A piece of shrapnel, believed to be from the same rocket, was found embedded in the road.
Thai Government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat condemned Cambodia for deliberately firing into civilian areas, calling the action “cruel and inhumane.” Thailand has previously reported civilian deaths during the renewed conflict, though many of those individuals had pre-existing health conditions and died during evacuation.
Cambodia has deployed BM-21 rocket launchers with a range of 30-40 kilometers (19-25 miles), capable of firing up to 40 rockets at a time, though they lack precise targeting. Thai authorities state that Cambodia has launched thousands of these rockets on a near-daily basis. Thailand has responded with airstrikes using its fighter planes, with Cambodia reporting continued bombing on Sunday. Both sides are utilizing drones for surveillance and bomb delivery.
Residents of another village in Kantharalak reported damage to several houses from a rocket attack on Saturday, with some injuries sustained.
“Houses that were hit directly were totally destroyed,” said Kanbancha Charoensri, a resident of the village. “The ground was shaking so much. It was so scary.”
The Thai military has acknowledged 16 troop deaths, and estimates at least 221 fatalities among Cambodian soldiers. Cambodia has dismissed the Thai count as disinformation and has not yet acknowledged any military casualties, reporting at least 11 civilian deaths and over six dozen wounded.
Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Manet delivered a morale-boosting message to his countrymen on Sunday, expressing pride in the nation’s strength “in this situation where our country is facing difficulties due to aggression from neighboring countries.”
The current fighting has derailed a ceasefire previously promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump, which had briefly ended five days of combat in July. The ceasefire was brokered by Malaysia and pushed through with pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless an agreement was reached. It was formalized further in October at a regional meeting in Malaysia that Trump attended.
Trump announced Friday that the two countries had agreed to renew the ceasefire, but Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul denied making any commitment, and Cambodia announced it would continue fighting in self-defense.
A Thai Navy warship in the Gulf of Thailand engaged in fire with Cambodian-based guns in Koh Kong province on Saturday morning, with each side blaming the other for initiating the exchange.
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Jintamas reported from Surin, Thailand. Sopheng Cheang contributed from Preah Netr Preah, Cambodia.
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