CAMBODIA – As the Thai-Cambodia border clashes continue, schools across parts of Cambodia and Thailand were on Monday forced to close, as hundreds of thousands flee the border regions.

The death toll now is at least 40, according to authorities.

Cambodia’s Education Ministry said the fighting along the border has forced the closure of 1,039 schools across six provinces, disrupting education for 9,797 teachers and 242,881 students, according to local outlet Fresh News.

Cambodia’s Interior Ministry said two more civilians were killed, bringing the number of civilian deaths in the country to 15, with 73 others injured.

The ministry also said Thai F-16 fighter jets carried out airstrikes inside Cambodian territory, according to state-run Agence Kampuchea Presse.

In Thailand, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said Bangkok has formally appealed to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights after nine Thai civilians were killed and more than 600 schools and hospitals were closed, according to Thai Enquirer.

The outlet also reported that the Thai Air Force launched F-16 strikes on Cambodian military positions, with heavy fighting continuing along the border regions.

China expressed concern over the escalation. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing is closely monitoring developments.

“We are deeply saddened by the casualties inflicted on both sides and express heartfelt sympathies. Cambodia and Thailand are and will always be neighbors. Amity and good-neighborliness are invaluable to a country.

The top priority now is to stop the fighting and protect civilians,” Guo said at a news conference in Beijing.

“We hope the two sides will, in light of safeguarding peace and stability of the border areas and the interests of the peoples, exercise maximum restraint, take all measures conducive to realizing a ceasefire, and deescalate as soon as possible,” he added.

Officials and local media said about 700,000 people have been displaced on both sides of the frontier since fighting intensified last week.

Overall, 15 civilians have been killed in Cambodia, while Thailand has reported the deaths of 16 soldiers and nine civilians.

The clashes have continued despite US President Donald Trump saying Friday that leaders of Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to halt renewed fighting.

The two countries signed a peace agreement in October in Kuala Lumpur in the presence of Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, but it was later suspended after Thai soldiers were seriously injured in a landmine explosion in a border province.

Thai authorities said around 18 Cambodian soldiers remain in Thai custody following incidents over the past five months.

Thailand and Cambodia have a long-running border dispute that has repeatedly erupted into violence, including clashes in July in which at least 48 people were killed.