Fears of all-out war between Thailand and Cambodia erupt as shots fired at disputed border

Thai and Cambodian soldiers fired at each other in multiple contested border areas on Thursday, killing at least one civilian after the nations downgraded their diplomatic relations in a rapidly escalating dispute. The Thai army confirmed that it had launched airstrikes on ground targets in Cambodia and the Cambodian Defence Ministry said it used jets to drop bombs near the ancient Preah Vihear temple - with each side accusing the other of opening fire first. Surasant Kongsiri, spokesperson for the Thai Defence Ministry, said at least one civilian was killed and three others, including a five-year-old boy, seriouslu injured after shots were fired into a residential area in the Surin province on Thursday morning.

The ministry said clashes were ongoing at six contested points on the border. Cambodia's Defence Ministry insisted that it had "acted strictly within the bounds of self-defence, responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity".

Relations between the southeast Asian countries deteriorated after a Cambodian soldier was killed during an armed confrontation in a patch of land both countries claim as their own territory in May.

The latest escalation of tensions follows the Cambodian Government's downgrading of diplomatic relations with its neighbour to the lowest level, following similar measures by its Thai counterpart.

The first clash on Thursday took place near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple, on the border of Surin and Cambodia's Meanchey Province. A livestream video showed Thai people running from their homes and hiding in a concrete border as explosions sounded.

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