As fighting spread to at least six areas along the arcane frontier, Thailand’s military closed crossings between the countries. The fighting spurred at least 40,000 civilians from more than 80 villages near the border to flee to makeshift bomb shelters of sandbags and car tires.

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as border fighting intensified and spread, while Cambodia's leader said Thailand had agreed to a Malaysian ceasefire proposal but then backed down.

The conflict's death toll rose substantially, with Cambodia reporting 12 new deaths and Thailand one, making the total death toll 13 Cambodians and 20 Thai

All items in the Cambodian armoury originate from past military cooperation agreements. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Thailand warned its conflict with neighboring Cambodia could “potentially develop into a war” as troops used rockets and artillery to shell targets along their contested border for a second day.

Experts warn about the risk of foreign intervention due to ASEAN's slow response to the armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.

Its actions will also be a test of its diplomatic strength in the region, they added. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The countries continued to trade fire on Friday, and at least 16 people are reported to have been killed.

Thailand favours bilateral negotiation rather than third-party mediation to resolve its military conflict with Cambodia, two Thai officials said, as fighting along their disputed border continued unabated.

The deadly conflict on the Thai-Cambodian border pits a longtime United States ally with decades of experience against a relatively young armed force with close ties to China.