PHNOM PENH, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Thai military forces continued to use artillery and tank-mounted machine guns to fire at multiple targets in Cambodian territory as of Tuesday morning, a Cambodian defense spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The civilian death toll in Cambodia has increased to 21, as border conflict with Thailand has entered its 17th day, Defense Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said.
"The Thai military had attacked locations where Cambodian civilians resided, resulting in 21 civilian deaths, including one infant, and injuries to 83 others as of 6 p.m. on Dec. 22," she said at a press briefing.
The Cambodia-Thailand border conflict has reignited since Dec. 7, and both sides accused the other of initiating the attack.
According to the latest figures released by the Cambodian Ministry of Interior, the conflict has so far forced about 545,000 Cambodians to flee their homes for safe shelters. ■