The burgeoning conflict between Cambodia and Thailand could escalate into a full-scale war, the latter’s acting prime minister warned on Friday as the countries continued to trade deadly strikes for a second day.

Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters in Bangkok that the situation could ‘develop into war’ after diplomatic efforts to avert the crisis ostensibly failed.

‘We have tried to compromise as we are neighbours, but we have now instructed the Thai military to act immediately in case of urgency,’ he said.

The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis today after a long-running border dispute erupted into intense cross-border clashes on Thursday, with jets, artillery, tanks and infantry.

The Thai health ministry reported that more than 138,000 people have already been evacuated from border regions with no sign of the conflict abating. It reported 15 fatalities – 14 civilians and a soldier – with a further 46 wounded, including 15 troops.

On Friday, artillery strikes could still be heard from the Cambodian side of the border, where the province of Oddar Meanchey reported one civilian – a 70-year-old man – had been killed and five more wounded.

The Thai army said fighting yesterday was focused on six locations, including around two ancient temples. Ground troops backed by tanks battled for control as F-16s targeted military sites across the border. Cambodia, meanwhile, fired rockets and shells the other way. 

Both sides blamed each other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket.

Thursday’s clashes came hours after Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own envoy after five members of a Thai military patrol were wounded by a landmine.

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