Thailand Cambodia Border Clash Refugees
Thousands Flee as Thai-Cambodian Border Clashes Intensify
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Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia & surin, Thailand – Thousands of villagers have been forced to flee their homes on both sides of the Thai-Cambodian border as intense fighting continues, with reports of Thai rockets hitting a school compound in CambodiaS Oddar Meanchey province.While no injuries were reported from the school incident, all schools in the province have been closed as a precautionary measure.
The Thai army has denied targeting civilian sites, accusing Cambodia of using “human shields” by positioning their weapons near residential areas.
Thousands Flee Villages Amidst crossfire
As the conflict escalates, civilians have found themselves caught in the crossfire, prompting widespread evacuations. In Surin,Thailand,approximately 50 miles from the border,around 600 displaced individuals have sought shelter at a university gymnasium. Evacuees are seen resting on mats and blankets, with many queuing for essential food and drinks.
Pornpan Sooksai, a seamstress who fled her home near the Ta Muen Thom temple with her four cats, recounted the terrifying moments when shelling began on Thursday. “I just heard, boom, boom. We already prepared the cages,clothes and everything,so we ran and carried our things to the car. I was frightened, scared,” she said.
Another evacuee, Rattana Meeying, who also experienced clashes in 2011, described the current situation as significantly worse. “Children, old people, were hit out of the blue,” she stated. “I never imagined it would be this violent.”
Hospital Damaged, Soldiers Injured
The impact of the fighting is also being felt at local medical facilities. At the nearby Phanom Dong Rak hospital, periodic explosions could be heard on Friday. A military truck arrived carrying three injured Thai soldiers, one of whom had suffered the amputation of both legs. Thursday’s shelling had previously shattered windows at one of the hospital’s buildings and damaged its roof.
In the neighboring Sisaket province,an evacuation order prompted a stream of villagers to leave their homes,packing belongings onto cars,trucks,and motorbikes.
Deserted Villages and Makeshift Shelters
Across the border in Cambodia, villages on the outskirts of Oddar Meanchey province are largely deserted, with locked homes and roaming livestock painting a somber picture of displacement. some residents had resorted to digging makeshift underground bunkers, covering them with wood, tarpaulin, and zinc sheets for protection against shelling. Families with children were observed packing their belongings onto homemade tractors to evacuate, though a few men remained, refusing to leave their homes.
A remote Buddhist temple, surrounded by rice fields, has become a refuge for several hundred evacuated villagers. Women rest in hammocks, some cradling infants, while children play. Makeshift plastic tents are being erected under the shade of trees.
Veng Chin, a 74-year-old resident, expressed a plea for peace, urging both governments to negotiate a settlement. “I can return to my home and work on the farm,” he implored.