Thai airstrikes hit Cambodia border after deadly clashes, threatening collapse of recent Trump-brokered truce
Tensions on the Thailand Cambodia border erupted into violence on Monday as Thailand launched airstrikes along the disputed frontier, accusing Cambodian forces of breaching a fragile ceasefire agreement signed only six weeks ago. The escalation came after one Thai soldier was killed and four others wounded in early-morning clashes, prompting Thailand’s military to deploy aircraft against what it described as Cambodian military positions.
Thailand’s air force said it had struck “military targets in several areas”, claiming Cambodia had mobilised heavy weaponry close to the border and repositioned combat units in violation of the ceasefire. The armed confrontation marks the most serious breakdown in relations between the two neighbours since the five-day conflict in July, which left at least 48 people dead and forced 300,000 people to flee their homes.
Cambodia’s ministry of national defence rejected Thailand’s accusations outright, instead blaming Thai forces for launching an unprovoked attack on Cambodian troops on Monday morning. The ministry insisted Cambodia had not retaliated, despite what it characterised as “provocative actions for many days”. The two sides have repeatedly traded accusations of ceasefire violations since the July conflict, but Monday’s airstrikes represent a significant escalation.
The ceasefire, agreed under the mediation of former US president Donald Trump, had been hailed as a temporary stabilising measure. Yet both sides now claim the other has shattered the terms of the deal. The speed with which tensions have reignited has alarmed regional observers, raising fears that the conflict could return to the same level of intensity seen earlier this year.
Cambodia’s former prime minister, Hun Sen still a powerful figure behind the scenes and father of current leader Hun Manet intervened publicly to urge restraint. Writing on Facebook, he claimed Thailand was attempting to “pull us into retaliation”. He warned Cambodian commanders to respect established “red lines” and reminded them to instruct soldiers accordingly to avoid escalation.
Meanwhile, Thailand has already begun evacuating civilians from villages along its border, ordering communities across four provinces to move to safer areas. According to Thai authorities, around 35,000 people have now registered at emergency shelters. Thai army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said soldiers on Thai soil had “been attacked with supporting fire weapons”, resulting in the fatality and injuries that triggered Monday’s response.
Winthai confirmed that Thai aircraft were being used “to strike military targets in several areas” in an attempt to suppress what he described as Cambodian attacks on Thai forces. The situation on the ground remains volatile, with both sides accusing the other of firing first and violating the already fragile truce.
Malaysia’s prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim who played a key role in negotiating the original ceasefire issued a stern warning that the renewed violence risked unravelling months of painstaking diplomatic work. As chair of the regional bloc ASEAN, Anwar appealed for calm and encouraged both sides to use their existing communication channels to prevent the conflict from spiralling further.
“We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint, maintain open channels of communication and make full use of the mechanisms in place,” he said in an online statement.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, international concern is rising over the potential for a wider conflict. What began as a brief border dispute earlier this year has become a prolonged confrontation, punctuated by attempts at mediation and repeated failures to maintain peace. With Monday’s deadly clash and subsequent airstrikes, hopes for de-escalation appear to be fading rapidly
