Thailand and Cambodia on the brink of war; clashes have left 15 dead and 140,000 displaced.

Thailand and Cambodia continue their clashes for a second day, which have already left 15 dead and more than 140,000 evacuated in total. This Friday, the clashes spread to as many as 12 areas along the border between the two countries.

The Thai military reported today that Cambodian troops have fired rocket fire and artillery shells at military and residential areas in Thai territory.

Several wooden houses in the Sri Wichian district of the eastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, bordering northern Cambodia, were damaged by rocket fire, the Thai military said on Facebook.

In a statement, they also denounced Cambodia's use of tanks and long-range weapons to "attack the front lines and the rear" simultaneously, while the Thai military maintains it responded in self-defense.

After weeks of tension, the clashes erupted Thursday when the armies clashed around the Ta Muen Thom temple. The initial exchange of gunfire gave way to fighting on other sides of the border, with airstrikes launched from both sides.

The fighting, which occurred yesterday in six areas, spread today to a dozen locations along the more than 800 kilometers of border shared by both countries, and more than 400 kilometers from both Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

So far, Thailand has reported 14 deaths—13 civilians and one soldier—while more than 138,000 people have been evacuated.

Cambodia, whose authorities maintain a limited flow of information, has reported only one civilian dead and five injured, according to a social media post by the deputy governor of Oddar Meanchey province, Met Measpheakdey, who noted that 3,436 families have been displaced.

War alert

Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai warned Friday that clashes with Cambodia are escalating and could "lead to war."

"The incidents are becoming increasingly violent and could escalate into war. For now, it's still considered a confrontation, although (Cambodia) is using heavy weapons," Phumtham told media.

"Prime Minister Hun Manet must be held accountable, as the attacks were not directed against military targets, but against civilians," the Bangkok representative stressed. stating that Thailand "has constantly tried to negotiate" to calm the border conflict.

Both countries accuse each other of starting the war on Thursday, preceded by two months of rising tensions at various points along the border and the death of a Cambodian soldier on May 28 during a 10-minute shootout in a remote area of Chong Bok, which both countries claim to control.

Mediation

The Thai government also said Friday that it is seeking mediation in the territorial dispute between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which both countries are members.

Bangkok hopes that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as leader of the country holding the rotating ASEAN presidency, will begin negotiations with Cambodia to establish a framework for dialogue with Thailand, Phumtham said, according to a statement from the Ministry of the Interior.

The Cambodian president, for his part, said he supports the "ceasefire" proposal put forward by the Malaysian leader, who held a separate telephone conversation with his two counterparts the day before, as a first step toward a solution.

"The key to resolving the current armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia lies in the genuine willingness of the Thai side to accept a ceasefire, which is the first step toward finding new solutions between the two countries," Hun Manet wrote on Facebook.

Several nations have expressed concern about the conflict between the two Southeast Asian countries.

The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok today urged an "immediate cessation" of hostilities, while China, a key partner of Cambodia, He expressed concern at the escalating tensions and called on both sides to resolve the conflict "through dialogue and consultation."

The European Commission (EC) called for a de-escalation of tensions and recourse to "diplomatic channels," and UN Secretary-General António Guterres "urges both parties to exercise maximum restraint."

An urgent meeting of the UN Security Council is scheduled to be held this Friday in New York, where Bangkok and Phnom Penh will present their respective arguments on how and who started the conflict.

Territorial tensions between the two nations have generally been addressed diplomatically, although between 2008 and 2011, some thirty people died in military clashes in an area adjacent to the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear.