ANKARA

Thousands of people have been displaced on both sides of the Thailand-Cambodia border amid ongoing hostilities that have left at least 16 people dead.

Thai authorities said Friday that 131,456 people have been evacuated from border regions and moved to safer areas.

Cambodia has also relocated residents from areas facing shelling and artillery fire, and both countries have closed schools near the conflict zones.

According to Thailand’s Health Ministry, the death toll has climbed to 15, including one soldier, while Cambodia has confirmed the death of a monk, and said five others were injured in airstrikes by Thai air forces on Thursday.

Thai officials said 46 people, including 15 soldiers, were injured after Cambodia launched rocket fire into Thai territory.

The Thai Health Ministry also reported that 11 hospitals and medical facilities across four border provinces have been affected by the fighting.

Although hostilities have eased slightly from earlier in the week, the Thai military warned that armed clashes continue across multiple sectors of the border.

Cambodia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that fighting continued into Friday and accused Thai forces of attacking seven locations using heavy weapons and cluster munitions, which are prohibited under international law.

Earlier, Thai military intelligence claimed that at least 24 Cambodians, mostly soldiers, were killed in airstrikes and artillery shelling between Thursday and Friday morning. The attacks reportedly also destroyed three 100-millimeter mortars. Cambodia has not responded to the claims yet, which could not be independently verified.

The reported calm along the border comes as Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke to his Thai and Cambodian counterparts, Phumtham Wechayachai and Hun Manet, respectively, on Thursday, urging the warring sides to declare an "immediate ceasefire."

According to Anwar, both parties showed a willingness to de-escalate.

Soon after the armed conflict began on Thursday, Cambodia sought "urgent" intervention by the UN Security Council which is set to meet Friday at 3:00 p.m. New York time.

Cambodia and Thailand have downgraded diplomatic ties to their lowest level in decades after tensions between the two countries began rising since May 28, when troops exchanged fire near the border, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier.

The two Southeast Asian neighbors have a disputed border lying across Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province and the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid