Thailand launches airstrikes along disputed Cambodia border as ceasefire collapses
Thailand launched airstrikes along the disputed border with Cambodia on Monday as both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire that halted fighting earlier this year.
Longstanding border disputes erupted into five days of combat in July that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. Donald Trump pushed the Southeast Asian neighbours to sign a truce agreement in October, but tensions have continued to simmer.
The Thai Ministry of Defence said that more than 35,000 people have left areas near the border for shelters and more are believed to have fled to stay with relatives elsewhere, while Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said that residents of several villages near the border have been evacuated.
The latest escalation followed an exchange of fire on Sunday, with both sides accusing each other of firing the first shots. The Thai army said Cambodian fire injured two Thai soldiers and that Thai troops retaliated, leading to a gunfight that lasted around 20 minutes. Cambodia denied the accusation and said it did not retaliate.
On Monday, Thai army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree said Cambodian troops again opened fire into Thai territory in multiple areas. He said one Thai soldier was killed and four others were wounded. Thailand responded by deploying aircraft to strike what it described as Cambodian military positions to suppress further attacks.
Cambodia’s Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata
accused Thailand of initiating the military action and said Cambodian forces did not respond during the initial phase of the air and artillery strikes. Cambodia urged Thailand to immediately halt all hostile activities.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
called for restraint, warning that the region could not afford further escalation. He noted that Malaysia shares borders with both Thailand and indirectly through maritime boundaries with Cambodia, making regional stability critical. Malaysia expressed readiness to support diplomatic efforts to prevent further conflict.
While Sunday’s gunfight sparked the immediate crisis, tensions had already sharply escalated in November following a landmine incident near the border.
On November 10, Thai soldiers were injured when a patrol triggered a landmine in a contested area. Thailand said the mine was newly planted and accused Cambodian forces of violating the ceasefire and international mine-ban commitments. Cambodia denied the allegation, stating that the explosion occurred in an old, uncleared minefield.
In response to the blast, Thailand announced it was suspending the implementation of the October ceasefire agreement, effectively weakening the fragile peace framework. Monitoring efforts along the border also stalled as trust between the two sides collapsed.
A dispute rooted in history:
The conflict is rooted in centuries of rivalry between the two countries, but the modern boundary dispute largely stems from a 1907 map drawn during French colonial rule in Cambodia. Thailand has long argued that the map inaccurately placed sections of territory on the Cambodian side of the border.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that Cambodia held sovereignty over the area that includes the ancient Preah Vihear temple. The ruling resolved ownership of the temple, but not all surrounding territories, leaving room for future conflict.
Although ceasefire agreements have temporarily reduced fighting, they have not resolved the core disagreement over where the international boundary should run, keeping the border highly militarised and volatile.