At least twelve people have been killed in clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops at the two countries’ disputed border.
This is according to Thai authorities.
Thai authorities said most of those killed were civilians. Cambodia has not said that it suffered any casualties.
Gunfire was exchanged early on Thursday morning, with both sides claiming the other shot first. Thailand said Cambodia had fired rockets into Thai territory.
Both countries have asked civilians living near the disputed area to leave.
The latest clash is linked to a century-old border dispute, when a border was drawn up between Siam (as Thailand was then known) and Cambodia, which at the time was a French colony.
The dispute turned more hostile in 2008, when Cambodia tried to register with the UN a temple dating from the 11th century as a World Heritage Site. However, Thailand claimed that the temple was actually in Thai territory.
In recent years tensions have been high, with borders between the two countries being closed or crossings restricted. In May a Cambodian soldier was killed in another border clash.
There are concerns that the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Manet, could escalate the crisis as a way to burnish his leadership credentials. He succeeded his father, Hun Sen, as the country’s leader in 2023.