On Thursday morning, deadly fighting broke out between Thai and Cambodian troops along their disputed border. Authorities have confirmed that at least 12 people, most of them Thai civilians, were killed in the crossfire.

Thailand has blamed Cambodia for killing Thai citizens, while Cambodia has blamed Thailand for bombing Cambodian targets with fighter jets. Neither claim could be independently verified at the time this article was published.

Videos circulating online show explosions and gunfire in the disputed area. Many who live along the contested border have sought shelter.

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While it's still unclear what tipped the scales in this most recent escalation, tensions between both nations have been rising noticeably in recent months. In late May, Thai armed forces killed a Cambodian soldier in an exchange of fire that ensued as his unit was digging trenches along the disputed border. Since then, both counties have sent reinforcements to the area

On Wednesday, Thailand said it was withdrawing its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelling Cambodia's ambassador. The kingdom also closed multiple border crossings to Cambodia.

This came after land mines reportedly wounded a series of Thai soldiers in several incidents along the contested border region. Thai authorities........

© Deutsche Welle