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The Thai authorities have warned that the border clashes, which entered their second day (Friday) with neighboring Cambodia, could escalate into war, as thousands are fleeing the border areas ahead of a session of the UN Security Council to discuss the crisis.

Thai acting Prime Minister Poomtham Wechayachai told reporters today: If the situation escalates, it could turn into war, even if things are currently limited to clashes.

The bloody confrontations have resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people in Thailand, while Cambodia reported its first casualty from the clashes today.

The Thai army reported clashes that occurred early this morning (Friday) in multiple areas along the border in Chong Bok and Phu Makhaia in Ubon Ratchathani province, in Phanom Dong Rak in Surin province, and near the historic Ta Muen Thum Buddhist temple.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing artillery fire since early morning, and the Thai army announced that Cambodian forces used heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket launchers, prompting Thai officials to respond with what they described as "appropriate supporting fire."

The chief Cambodian official in Oddar Meanchey province, General Khieu Lee, stated that a Thai missile hit a Buddhist temple where he was hiding, injuring at least four civilians in the fighting. However, the Thai army denied targeting civilian sites in Cambodia and accused Cambodia of using human shields by placing its weapons near residential areas.

As the fighting intensified, villagers from both sides found themselves caught in the crossfire, prompting many to flee for their lives.

The Thai Ministry of Health announced that more than 58,000 people have fled from villages to temporary shelters in four affected Thai border provinces, while Cambodian authorities evacuated more than 4,000 people from areas near the border.

Eyewitnesses reported that families with children packed their belongings onto homemade tractors for evacuation, although some men refused to leave. Several hundred Cambodian villagers were evacuated to a remote Buddhist temple surrounded by rice fields.

The Security Council is holding an emergency meeting regarding the crisis today (Friday) in New York, while Malaysia, which chairs a regional bloc that includes both countries, has called for an end to hostilities and offered to mediate.

This conflict represents a rare case of armed confrontations between member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and Malaysia, the current chair of ASEAN, has expressed its concern.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for restraint and urged both countries to resolve their disputes through dialogue.

It is worth noting that border tensions are not new between the two countries, whose border stretches over 800 kilometers, making it a point of contention for decades. Previous confrontations have typically been limited and short-lived, with the last major escalation in 2011 resulting in the deaths of 20 people.