Thai bomb squads today searched sites struck by Cambodian rockets as they carried out body retrieval operations.

An explosive ordnance team swept through the wreckage of a 7-Eleven convenience store in Sisaket province, where residents were caught in a blast on July 24.

Authorities said eight people were killed at the site, but five dead bodies were yet to be recovered. Footage shows the specialists inspecting the carnage before rescuers were cleared to collect the corpses still inside.

Several bomb fragments and the tail of a BM-21 rocket were reportedly retrieved from the scene, which was just one of several locations hit by the Cambodian attack.

Locals reported hearing gunfire at the Preah Vihear Temple early this morning as border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia continued.

Artillery strikes had hit a series of locations across on Thursday.

Thai Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said at least 14 people, including a soldier and two children Bandit Aunjit and Namkhong Boontang aged seven and eight, were killed in the crossfire, while some 32 were injured.

The interior ministry said more than 100,000 residents were evacuated from four border provinces and moved to shelters.

Thailand responded with airstrikes as authorities condemned Cambodia as 'inhumane, brutal, and war-hungry'.

But Cambodia claims that the Thai military initiated the clashes over disputed land, which it has occupied since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in favour of Cambodia in the 1960s.

Both blamed each other for allegedly instigating the violent border clashes.

The Royal Thai Army reported that Thai military officers at Prasat Ta Muen temple in Surin heard the sound of an unmanned aerial vehicle at 7:35 am but could not pinpoint its location.

Six armed Cambodian soldiers, including one with an RPG, then approached the barbed wire area in front of the Thai base, prompting Thai soldiers to shout at them to stop.

At 8:20 am, the Cambodian side reportedly fired in the opposite direction of the base to the east of the castle before artillery fire was launched around 9 am.

Jirayu Huangsap, spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office, said the government received military information and 'clear evidence' that the Cambodian side initiated the attack.

However, Cambodian PM Hun Manet said Thailand initiated the attack, forcing him to retaliate.

Cambodian troops reportedly fired continuous artillery rounds using 122mm rockets from BM-21 rocket launchers at residents in Surin, where one civilian was killed and a five-year-old child and his family were severely injured. Seven soldiers were also injured in the rocket strike.

The Thai army closed all border checkpoints at 8 am, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was instructed to compile evidence of the alleged provocations from the Cambodian side to lodge a formal complaint with international organisations.

The Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh has advised Thai residents in Cambodia to leave as soon as possible. It also urged the public to avoid non-essential travel to Cambodia until the situation is resolved.

The Cambodian Ministry of National Defence condemned Thailand for alleged encroachment.

Prime Minister Hun Manet said Cambodia 'had no choice' but to respond with its armed forces against 'armed aggression'.
The clash flared several days after a border landmine exploded, injuring three Thai soldiers, including one who lost a leg.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia escalated after a clash between troops from both countries in a disputed area in Nam Yuen district, Ubon Ratchathani, on May 28, resulting in the death of a Cambodian sergeant.

Thailand expressed its intention to resolve the dispute through existing bilateral mechanisms. However, Cambodia vowed to take the case before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Thailand and Cambodia have a complex and often fractious history, with regular skirmishes.

The Khmer Empire, a precursor to modern-day Cambodia, once stretched across much of Southeast Asia and saw regular battles with inhabitant tribes, before the ancient leaders moved their base south to Phnom Penh in the 16th century amid water shortages. The Siamese kingdom then moved into the abandoned land and grew in dominance.

Thai leaders later supported Germany and Japan in WWII, before aiding the Americans in the abhorrent bombing of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in the 1960s and 70s. They then helped the genocidal Khmer Rouge, responsible for killing some three million Cambodians, and provided sanctuary for their fugitive soldiers.