The deadly conflict on the Thai-Cambodian border pits a longtime United States ally with decades of experience against a relatively young armed force with close ties to China.

By Shoon Naing and Artorn Pookasook SISAKET, Thailand (Reuters) -Fighting on the Thai-Cambodian border extended into a third day and new flashpoints emerged on Saturday as both sides sought diplomatic support,

"The U.S. already flunked the test and that should be a wakeup call," a former senior U.S. State Department official told Newsweek.

Of course, trouble at the 508-mile (817 km) shared border is nothing new. For over a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points in the thick jungle punctuated with culturally-significant temples albeit with scant strategic or economic value.

Thailand favours bilateral negotiation rather than third-party mediation to resolve its military conflict with Cambodia, two Thai officials said, as fighting along their disputed border continued unabated.

BANGKOK: Thailand said its navy joined the army in repelling Cambodian attacks on a new frontier in their disputed border, as the death toll from the escalating conflict climbed to at least 30.

The UN Security Council held an emergency closed-door meeting Friday in New York. Malaysia, which chairs the 10-nation regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to the hostilities and offered to mediate.

The fighting began on Thursday morning close to the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple, beside the border between Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province.View on euronews