BANGKOK: Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on Thursday (Jul 24) as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbours.

Both militaries accused each other of firing the first shots after weeks of simmering tensions.

Thailand and Cambodia are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet. Another border dispute region is home to several ancient temples.

The squabble has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight.