HANOI, December 19. /TASS/. The renewed fighting on the border with Thailand has forced nearly 500,000 Cambodians to flee their homes, with most of them being women and children,the country’s press agency reported, citing data from the interior ministry.

According to the latest reports, some 498,200 people, including 418,800 women and children, fled their homes in 14 provinces. The hostilities in Cambodia have taken the lives of 18 civilians, and 78 others were wounded. Since the conflict escalated in this December, 73 residential buildings, several religious sites, and transport and urban infrastructure have been damaged.

Armed clashes erupted on the border between Thailand and Cambodia on December 7. According to the Cambodian Defense Ministry, Thailand launched attacks on Cambodian positions after days of provocations by the Thai military in border areas that set the stage for a new bout of confrontation.

The Royal Thai Army reported that Cambodian forces were the first to shell Thai positions in the border area, and the Thai Air Force responded by attacking Cambodian military infrastructure to take key areas under control and counter the enemy.