SISAKET / PHNOM PENH / NEW DELHI : India has issued a strong advisory and called for urgent de-escalation as heavy cross-border fighting between Cambodia and Thailand enters its third day, killing over 30 people mostly civilians and displacing more than 130,000 along the volatile frontier.
“We are closely monitoring the situation at the Cambodia–Thailand border,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Saturday. “India has close and friendly relations with both countries and urges restraint and dialogue to prevent further loss of life.” He also urged Indian nationals in the region to remain vigilant and reach out to Indian embassies for support.
The Indian Embassy in Phnom Penh warned citizens via social media: “Due to the ongoing hostilities at the Cambodia–Thailand border, Indian citizens are advised not to travel to the border areas. For emergencies, please contact the Embassy of India in Phnom Penh.” The embassy reaffirmed it would offer assistance and encouraged travelers to follow updates via official channels.
The latest clashes, reportedly sparked by Cambodian troops allegedly opening fire on Thai positions on Thursday, have since escalated into full-blown artillery and air assaults across disputed border zones. The Cambodian Ministry of National Defense reported 13 fatalities on its side five soldiers and eight civilians along with 71 injuries, as of Saturday. Thailand’s Ministry of Defence said its forces launched “Operation Trat Strike 1,” a coordinated naval and ground effort to repel Cambodian advances, accusing Phnom Penh of escalating the crisis with strikes into Pursat province.
According to Thailand’s state broadcaster, four navy vessels have been deployed to Trat province to provide fire support and logistics for Thai ground forces. Thai media has confirmed that this is the worst escalation between the two Southeast Asian neighbors in over a decade.
The human cost of the conflict is devastating. In Thailand’s Sisaket province, 40-year-old farm worker Komsan Prachan believed his family was safe—until a shell abruptly ended their lives.
Komsan received a call from his children’s school Thursday morning, requesting parents pick up their children due to fears of evacuation. He and his wife collected their 14-year-old daughter, 9-year-old son, and the boy’s friend. Moments later, an artillery shell slammed into the local train station’s 7-Eleven store, where the three children had stopped for snacks. All three were killed instantly.
“All I was thinking then was, my wife and kids,” Komsan told a media agency at a relative’s home in Sisaket. “I lost all hope. I could only stand and watch.”
Despite hearing distant shelling earlier that day, Komsan didn’t think his area would be hit. “There was no bunker in that area it was considered a safe zone,” he said. The couple, who met in high school and later married after years working in Bangkok, had raised their children with love and care. “Having them in my life was the greatest blessing,” he added, breaking down.
Like many others in affected regions, Komsan now accuses the Cambodian military of indiscriminate firing into civilian zones. “The war is good for no one. They should both talk peacefully. The war only brings loss, loss, and loss.”
As of Saturday evening, no ceasefire had been agreed upon. Both sides continue to blame each other, while ASEAN states and regional powers like India express growing concern over the fallout. Analysts warn that without diplomatic intervention, the fighting could destabilize mainland Southeast Asia and derail regional integration efforts under the ASEAN framework.
Schools remain shut, and university campuses have been repurposed into temporary shelters. Relief efforts are underway, but many displaced families are still without adequate food, medicine, or protection.
While governments exchange fire and rhetoric, it is families like Komsan’s and over 130,000 others—who are paying the price. With no ceasefire in sight, the human tragedy on the Cambodia–Thailand border deepens by the hour.
-Tadipatri Taha, Near Seakirin and Dr. Shahid Siddiqui
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