AKP Phnom Penh, December 19, 2025 --

Thai military forces continued shelling Cambodian civilian areas in Banteay Meanchey province on Friday morning, according to separate press releases from the Ministry of National Defence.

The ministry reported that at 7:42 a.m., Thai forces fired five artillery shells into Banteay Meanrith village, Kok Romiet commune, Thmar Pouk district. Approximately two hours later, at 9:45 a.m., additional artillery shells were launched into the Boeung Trakoun area of the same commune.

“These brutal actions constitute indiscriminate attacks by the Thai military and represent a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” the Ministry of National Defence stressed.

Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights H.E. Volker Türk has expressed concern over the use of air strikes and heavy weaponry in and around populated areas during the ongoing Cambodia–Thailand conflict. He emphasised that “under international humanitarian law, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure is paramount.”

He further underscored that all military operations must fully comply with the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction, necessity, and proportionality, and that all necessary precautionary measures must be taken to ensure the protection of civilians.

By C. Nika