Thailand has captured a contested hill along its border with Cambodia amid intensifying fighting between the two countries, Thai media reported on Saturday.
Thai troops took control of Phu Makkhuea hill, a ridge in the long-disputed frontier zone near the ancient Preah Vihear Hindu temple. The operation reportedly took place early on July 26, with Thai soldiers dismantling Cambodian military outposts, including observation towers, shelters, and surveillance equipment.
The Royal Thai Army released photographs of the operation, showing troops occupying the hilltop and removing Cambodian installations. As of Saturday afternoon, Cambodian authorities had not issued a formal response to the territorial seizure.
The move comes as exchanges of fire between Thai and Cambodian forces continued for a third consecutive day. According to local media, a new outbreak of shelling began in Trat Province earlier Friday morning, expanding the conflict into a previously unaffected district.
Thai authorities have confirmed that at least seven of their soldiers have been killed since clashes began on July 24. The border violence has now spread across multiple districts and has triggered martial law declarations in both Chanthaburi and Trat provinces.
Phu Makkhuea lies west of the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been at the center of territorial disputes between Thailand and Cambodia for decades. While the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, sovereignty over adjacent land remains contested.
The Thai military has not yet disclosed the full scope of the current operation, but the seizure of the hilltop appears to be part of a broader counteroffensive aimed at halting Cambodian advances.
So far, no casualties from the Cambodian side have been confirmed, and Thai officials have not commented on whether the seizure of Phu Makkhuea is intended to be permanent.
Tensions between the two countries have escalated rapidly since earlier this week, when Cambodian forces reportedly used BM-21 rocket launchers to target Thai military positions and civilian areas, prompting Thai airstrikes and heavy ground responses.