07/24/2025
**Headline: Border Clash Erupts Between Thailand and Cambodia; Temples at Center of Dispute**
**Dateline: Phnom Penh / Bangkok, [Date]** - Fighting has erupted along the disputed Thailand-Cambodia border, resulting in casualties and a significant escalation in tensions.
According to Cambodian military sources, the initial confrontation occurred near the ancient **Ta Moan Thom temple complex**. Cambodia asserts that **Thai troops fired six artillery shells at Cambodian positions** stationed near this temple. Crucially, Cambodia emphasizes that **Ta Moan Thom is unequivocally located within Cambodian territory**, a fact they state is clearly demonstrable on widely accessible **Google Maps**.
The Thai military, however, reports that at least nine people have been killed in the ensuing clashes. Thailand has leveled accusations against Cambodia, claiming its military **"launched attacks on civilian areas"** within Thailand. This represents a sharp and dangerous escalation in the long-standing territorial dispute centered around border temples, including Ta Moan Thom and the more famous Preah Vihear.
Cambodia categorically denies attacking civilians and counters Thailand's narrative. A Cambodian military spokesman stated their forces at Ta Moan Thom were acting **"entirely in self-defense"** following what they described as **"an unprovoked incursion by Thai forces"** into the vicinity of the temple. They maintain the Thai artillery strike was the act of aggression that precipitated the broader firefight.
The diplomatic fallout has been swift and severe:
1. **Thailand** has announced the closure of **all border crossings** with Cambodia.
2. **Cambodia** has responded by declaring it is **downgrading its diplomatic ties** with Thailand.
These developments have significantly heightened tensions and **deepened fears across Southeast Asia of a wider military conflict** erupting between the two neighbors. The status of the border temples, particularly Ta Moan Thom following this specific artillery strike cited by Cambodia, remains the immediate flashpoint.
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1. **Specific Initial Attack:** Clearly states the Cambodian claim that Thai troops fired *six artillery shells* first.
2. **Location:** Identifies *Ta Moan Thom temple* as the specific location of the initial shelling.
3. **Territorial Claim:** Explicitly states Cambodia's position that Ta Moan Thom is *unequivocally inside Cambodian territory*.
4. **Map Evidence:** Mentions the use of *Google Maps* as evidence supporting Cambodia's territorial claim over the temple.
5. **Context:** Frames this specific incident within the broader context of the border clashes and the long-standing temple dispute reported in the news snippet.
This report presents the Cambodian perspective on the origin of the clash (the six shells at Ta Moan Thom) and their territorial claim, while also accurately reporting Thailand's counter-accusations (attacks on civilians) and the resulting diplomatic actions from both sides.
