UNITED NATIONS — Cambodia has called for an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire with Thailand following two days of intense border clashes that have left at least 16 dead and forced over 138,000 civilians to flee their homes. The appeal came during an emergency UN Security Council meeting Friday, as artillery fire continued to echo across the contested frontier.

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Diplomatic Appeals Amid Ongoing Fighting

Cambodian UN Ambassador Chhea Keo urged the Security Council to intervene after fierce battles involving jets, tanks, and heavy artillery erupted Thursday. “We call for a peaceful solution to the dispute,” Keo said, rejecting Thailand’s claims that Cambodia initiated the violence. “How can a smaller country provoke such conflict?”

Thai officials, while open to dialogue, maintained their right to self-defense. Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura told AFP that Bangkok was willing to engage in talks—bilaterally or through ASEAN mediation by Malaysia—but had yet to receive a formal response from Phnom Penh.

Human Toll Mounts

The conflict has exacted a grim humanitarian cost:

• Thailand reports 16 fatalities (15 civilians, 1 soldier) and 46 wounded, with mass evacuations from four border provinces.

• Cambodia confirms one civilian killed—a 70-year-old man in Oddar Meanchey province—and five injured.

Fighting resumed at dawn Friday in three zones, with Cambodian forces deploying BM-21 rocket systems and Thai troops retaliating with artillery. By afternoon, clashes showed signs of de-escalation, though Thai Acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai warned the situation risked spiraling into “full-scale war.”

Today Cambodia still attack Thailand first but calls for immediate ceasefire. It's ridiculous. We have a lot of evidence. Moreovere,Cambodia attack Loas this morning. This is the fact and many countries know this and cannot trust cambodia media.#cambodiaopenedfirefirst https://t.co/Rwq6AkEohf

— free (@lovechinaseries) July 26, 2025

Historical Grievances, Modern Weapons

The violence revives a decades-old dispute over the 800-km border, previously contested in 2008–2011 clashes that killed 28. A 2013 UN court ruling had eased tensions until May, when a Cambodian soldier’s death reignited hostilities.

On the ground, civilians described terror as shells struck near homes. “We are scared,” said Pro Bak, 41, fleeing Samraong with his family to a Buddhist temple. Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a shelled hospital and a rocket-hit petrol station—claims Phnom Penh denies.

Cambodia Fails to Secure UN Backing as Border Tensions With Thailand Persist

International Response

The Security Council urged restraint but took no formal action, with members suggesting ASEAN-led resolution. As night fell Friday, the absence of a ceasefire left displaced families in limbo and regional stability hanging in the balance.

-Thailand News (TN)