Thailand-Cambodia Clashes Force Hundreds of Thousands to Flee

(MENAFN) The ongoing confrontations along the Thailand-Cambodia border have forced approximately 700,000 individuals on both sides to leave their homes, as the death count rose to 23 since Monday, officials and local news outlets reported on Friday.

Cambodia’s Interior Ministry stated that 274,403 people have been relocated to emergency shelters, while additional residents continue to escape the affected regions, according to a news agency.

“These figures represent only those who have taken refuge at safety centers organized by provincial authorities,” the ministry noted, emphasizing that the numbers do not include individuals who evacuated independently. “As of this morning, civilians continue to flee to safe areas across all affected provinces.”

The ministry confirmed that 11 civilians have lost their lives and 76 sustained injuries since Dec. 7.

On Thursday, Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata, spokeswoman for the Ministry of National Defense, reported that one Cambodian soldier was also killed during the clashes, according to the a media outlet.

The Interior Ministry, however, did not specify whether this soldier was counted among the 11 civilian fatalities.

Earlier on Wednesday, Thai Defense Ministry spokesman Surasant Kongsiri indicated that over 400,000 individuals have been evacuated to secure shelters across all seven Thai border provinces.

So far, nine Thai soldiers and three civilians have died, while 190 others have been wounded in the ongoing border confrontations.

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