News Desk: Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have reached a dangerous new high as Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodian military targets along their contested border, killing at least 12 people, according to Thailand’s health ministry. The casualties include 11 civilians and one Thai soldier, underscoring the growing human toll of the conflict.

The strikes followed the injury of a Thai soldier who lost his leg to a landmine along the border, an incident that further strained diplomatic relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. In response, both Bangkok and Phnom Penh have downgraded diplomatic ties, marking the worst deterioration in relations in recent years.

Thailand has accused Cambodia of firing rockets into civilian areas, escalating the long-standing dispute over the 500-mile (800-kilometer) border — much of it delineated during the French colonial era in Cambodia. The frontier has been a flashpoint for decades, punctuated by periods of cooperation and rivalry.

The political crisis deepened earlier this month when Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended following the leak of a phone call with Cambodia’s influential former leader, Hun Sen. In the recording, she appeared to question the Thai military’s handling of the border dispute, leading to speculation that she could be dismissed from office.

Observers fear the latest violence could spiral into a broader regional crisis if diplomatic channels remain frozen. International calls for de-escalation are mounting as both nations brace for further unrest along the volatile frontier.