At least 9 killed, 14 injured in Thailand-Cambodia border clash

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire on the border Thursday in a sharp escalation of their conflict that killed at least nine civilians.

The Thai army said the most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a gas station. At least 14 people were injured in three border provinces.

It was not immediately clear if the clash was ongoing. A livestream video from Thailand's side showed people running from their homes and hiding in a concrete bunker Thursday morning as explosions sounded periodically.   

  The clash happened in an area where the ancient Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple stands along the border of Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia Oddar Meanchey province.

Both Thailand and Cambodia accused each other of opening fire first. 

 

  Earlier, Cambodia said it was downgrading diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok.

That was in response to Thailand closing its northeastern border crossings with Cambodia, withdrawing its ambassador and expelling the Cambodian ambassador to protest a land mine blast that wounded five Thai soldiers.

Relations between the Southeast Asian neighbours have deteriorated sharply since May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in an armed confrontation in another of the several small patches of land both countries claim as their own territory.