Crime
PHOTOS & VIDEOS: Thailand and Cambodia start war with at least 11 d3ad
A dangerous escalation unfolded on Thursday as Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodian military targets near their disputed border, following a series of deadly clashes that have claimed at least 11 civilian lives.
The conflict, which threatens to spiral into a broader regional confrontation, follows the injury of a Thai soldier in a landmine explosion on Wednesday. The incident prompted Thailand to shut down all border crossings with Cambodia.
Thailand’s northeastern 2nd Regional Military Command announced via Facebook that F-16 fighter jets had been deployed and claimed two Cambodian military support units were “destroyed.” Army spokesperson Col. Richa Suksuwanont confirmed the strikes were aimed solely at military targets.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense responded by condemning the airstrikes, which reportedly occurred near the UNESCO-listed Preah Vihear temple. The ministry described the action as “brutal, barbaric military aggression” and a violation of international law.
“Cambodia reserves the right to lawful self-defense and will respond decisively,” the statement warned. “Our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the kingdom’s sovereignty—whatever the cost.”
Military officials confirmed that armed clashes broke out at six locations along the disputed border earlier on Thursday. Civilians were among the casualties, with homes, livestock, and public infrastructure damaged.
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health confirmed 11 civilian deaths and at least 35 injuries. Among the victims was an 8-year-old boy, the Thai military reported.
A Cambodian rocket reportedly struck a busy gas station in Kantharalak, Sisaket province, killing six people and injuring ten others. Geolocated video footage shows a damaged 7-Eleven store, smoke, and wounded individuals lying outside.
Thailand further accused Cambodian forces of firing BM-21 Grad rockets into civilian areas in Surin province, including at a local hospital. Footage aired by Thai PBS showed residents running for cover amid gunfire and sheltering in bunkers.
“The Royal Thai Armed Forces condemns these inhumane attacks on civilian targets and is prepared to respond to protect our sovereignty and citizens,” a military statement read.
Thailand also accused Cambodia of planting landmines inside Thai territory, another breach of international law.
Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai described the situation as “delicate” and emphasized that any response must remain within the bounds of international law.
Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to “stop Thailand’s aggression.”
The latest clashes follow the injury of five Thai soldiers in a landmine explosion on Wednesday. In response, Thailand downgraded diplomatic ties with Cambodia—recalling its ambassador and expelling Cambodia’s envoy from Bangkok.
The two nations share a complex relationship, with decades of both cooperation and tension. Their 800-kilometer border, drawn by French colonialists during their rule of Cambodia, has long been a flashpoint.
In 2011, skirmishes near the Preah Vihear temple left at least 20 people dead and displaced thousands.
This latest flare-up reportedly began early Thursday when Cambodia deployed a drone near the Ta Muen Thom temple—located near the border in Thailand’s Surin province. Thailand claimed Cambodian troops fired on a Thai army base, triggering the exchange of gunfire with small arms and heavy weapons.
Cambodia, however, disputes this account. Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata insisted their forces were responding to “an unprovoked incursion” by Thai troops.
Prime Minister Hun Manet also accused Thailand of attacking Cambodian army positions at several temple sites, urging citizens to remain calm and unified. The landmine attacks, which cost two Thai soldiers their legs in the past week, have only intensified the situation.
Tensions have spilled into domestic politics. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended earlier this month after a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen—Hun Manet’s father—surfaced, in which she appeared to question her own army’s conduct.
According to Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor at Chulalongkorn University, the conflict “is likely to get worse before it gets better,” warning that further escalation may be imminent.
🚨 Heavy artillery and Grad rocket shelling reported along the Cambodia–Thailand border.
Thai MFA urges citizens in Cambodia to leave immediately and advises against all non-essential travel until tensions ease. https://t.co/pgv4lEWZDs pic.twitter.com/kN4712S8Cp
— BigBreakingWire (@BigBreakingWire) July 24, 2025
[Breaking] The Second Army Region reports that BM-21 rockets fired from the Cambodian side have hit a PTT gas station in Ban Phue, Kantharalak District, Sisaket Province, leaving many students and civilians injured.#Thailand #Cambodia #ไทยกัมพูชา #ชายแดนไทยกัมพูชา pic.twitter.com/3moE6Jwqjm
— Thai Enquirer (@ThaiEnquirer) July 24, 2025
A new war is approaching: Heavy fighting broke out on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, — CNN.
The Royal Cambodian Army shelled several Thai border towns with multiple rocket launchers.
In response, Thailand closed its border with Cambodia because of these attacks.… pic.twitter.com/HwJVxxfipp— Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 (@jurgen_nauditt) July 24, 2025
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Crime
PHOTOS: N10 billion Cocaine, Loud, opioids intercepted at Lagos ports as NDLEA arrests kingpins
A 55-year-old businessman, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, who deals in clothing at the popular Balogun market, Lagos Island, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over an attempt to export 3.30 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the walls of cartons used to package foodstuffs going to the United Kingdom.
According to Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of the agency, Onuigbo was arrested on Thursday, 23rd July 2026, following the interception of his cocaine consignment at the export shed of the Lagos airport the previous day, Wednesday 22nd July by NDLEA operatives.
NDLEA arrests Lagos businessman, others over N10 billion cocaine trafficking; intercepts consignment of tramadol buried in containers of black soap
Babafemi said in the course of investigation, three cargo agents identified as Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina; Adeleke Abiola Taoheed; and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim, who handled the shipment, were initially arrested, leading to the arrest of Kenneth Okakpu who delivered the consignment to the cargo agents for shipment to the UK.
The NDLEA spokesperson said Okakpu’s arrest provided the lead to identifying Onuigbo as the kingpin behind the syndicate and his eventual arrest while attempting to send another consignment of cocaine to the UK.
NDLEA arrests Lagos businessman, others over N10 billion cocaine trafficking; intercepts consignment of tramadol buried in containers of black soap
He mentioned that a 31-year-old entrepreneur, Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo, also involved in illicit drug trafficking, was on Tuesday, 21st July, arrested at her Surulere, Lagos residence by NDLEA operatives following the seizure of her consignment of 2.80kg Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, which arrived from the United States aboard a United Airlines flight on Monday, 20th July.”
NDLEA arrests Lagos businessman, others over N10 billion cocaine trafficking; intercepts consignment of tramadol buried in containers of black soap
In a related development, NDLEA officials seized a consignment of tramadol buried in containers of black soap heading to the UK. The shipment was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at a courier firm in Lagos on Wednesday, 22nd July.
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A man accused of stealing cables was paraded in the Amarata area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The suspect was apprehended in the early hours of Sunday, 26th July, 2026 by a vigilante group at Ompadec, Amarata, while allegedly stealing electrical cables from a home.
According to residents, cable theft has become a recurring problem in the area, leaving them feeling vulnerable.
They expressed relief following his apprehension.
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