Major US Ally Launches Fighter Jets, At Least 16 Dead in Thailand-Cambodia Skirmish

THAILAND — Armed conflict has erupted along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, resulting in at least 16 confirmed deaths, according to officials from both countries.

The violence flared in the Emerald Triangle, a disputed area where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos converge. The region has been the center of a long-standing but relatively low-profile territorial dispute that has simmered for decades.

The latest escalation occurred after a second Thai soldier in a week was severely injured by a landmine explosion, losing both legs. In response, Thailand, which is a major ally of the U.S., reportedly deployed fighter jets, while Cambodian forces retaliated with artillery and rocket fire.

As of Friday, 15 civilians and one Thai soldier have been confirmed dead amid the hostilities.

The Emerald Triangle remains strategically significant but lacks a permanent U.S. military presence, unlike several other parts of Asia, adding to the region’s geopolitical sensitivity.

The border between Thailand and Cambodia was originally drawn by French colonials in 1907, but differing interpretations of those colonial-era maps have fueled decades of tension between the two nations.

Officials from both Thailand and Cambodia have claimed that their forces were acting in self-defense, each accusing the other side of initiating the violence.