Exactly what sparked horror Thailand-Cambodia feud as 12 confirmed dead at border

Thailand and Cambodia have exchanged fire on the border in a sharp escalation of a conflict that has killed at least 12 civilians.

The Thai army said the most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a fuel station. At least 14 people were injured in three border provinces, according to Thai authorities.

Relations between the Southeast Asian neighbours have deteriorated rapidly since an armed confrontation in May that killed a Cambodian soldier. Nationalist passions on both sides have inflamed the situation.

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The Thai army confirmed it hadlaunched airstrikes on ground targets within Cambodia. In response, the Cambodian Defence Ministry claimed that Thailand's army used jets to drop bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

Surasant Kongsiri, a spokesperson for the Thai Defence Ministry, said that three civilians, including a 5 year old boy, were seriously injured after Cambodia fired shots into a residential area in Thailand's Surin province.

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Clashes are currently ongoing in at least six areas along the border, according to Surasant. The first clash on Thursday morning occurred near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple along the border of Surin and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province.

Both nations have accused each other of initiating the gunfire. A livestream video from Thailand's side showed people fleeing their homes and seeking shelter in a concrete bunker on Thursday morning as explosions could be heard.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet alleged that Thailand attacked Cambodian army positions at Ta Muen Thom temple and Ta Krabey temple in Oddar Meanchey and expanded to the area along Cambodia's Preah Vihear province and Th.

Tensions have escalated in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province. "Cambodia has always maintained a position of peaceful resolution of problems, but in this case, we have no choice but to respond with armed force against armed aggression," stated a representative.

Earlier on Thursday, Cambodia announced it was downgrading diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok. This move was in response to Thailand closing its northeastern border crossings with Cambodia, withdrawing its ambassador and expelling the Cambodian ambassador on Wednesday following a land mine blast that injured five Thai soldiers.

Relations between the Southeast Asian neighbours have been strained since May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in an armed confrontation over disputed territory. The Thai army reported that during Thursday's initial clash, its forces spotted six armed Cambodian soldiers approaching Thailand's station after hearing an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Despite attempts by Thai soldiers to defuse the situation, the Cambodian side reportedly opened fire. Cambodia's Defence Ministry claimed that Thailand initiated the armed clash and that Cambodia "acted strictly within the bounds of self-defence, responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity."

Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen urged people not to panic in a post on his Facebook page. Meanwhile, Thai nationals have been urged to maintain faith in their government and the military.

The Thai embassy in Phnom Penh announced on Facebook that clashes had erupted across multiple border regions, with the potential for further escalation.

It called upon Thai citizens in Cambodia to depart the country where possible and recommended others avoid travelling to Cambodia unless utterly essential.

On Wednesday, a landmine explosion close to the frontier injured five Thai soldiers, with one losing a leg. A week prior, a landmine in a separate disputed zone detonated and wounded three Thai troops when one stepped on it, resulting in the loss of a foot.

Thai officials have claimed the mines were recently planted along routes that had been mutually agreed as secure corridors. They alleged the explosives were Russian-manufactured and not of a variety used by Thailand's armed forces.

Cambodia dismissed Thailand's version as "baseless accusations," highlighting that numerous unexploded mines and other munitions remain from 20th century conflicts and civil unrest.

Nationalist fervour on both sides has heightened tensions further. Thailand's prime minister was suspended from office on 1 July pending investigation into potential ethics breaches regarding her management of the border row.

Frontier disagreements represent enduring issues that have sparked intermittent tensions between the nations. The most significant and violent confrontations have centred around the 1,000 year old Preah Vihear temple.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice granted sovereignty over the temple site to Cambodia, which became a major source of irritation. Cambodia returned to the court in 2011, following several skirmishes between its military and Thai forces which resulted in approximately 20 fatalities and displaced thousands.

The court reiterated the ruling in 2013, a decision that continued to unsettle Thailand.