Bangkok (TDI): Thailand has carried out air strikes along its disputed border with Cambodia, the Thai military confirmed on Monday, following mutual accusations of ceasefire violations.
The tensions come despite a truce previously brokered by US President Donald Trump. At least one Thai soldier has died and four others were injured during fresh clashes in Ubon Ratchathani province, near the easternmost part of Thailand, after Cambodian forces reportedly opened fire on Thai troops. “The Thai military has now begun using aircraft to target enemy positions in several locations,” the armed forces said in a statement.
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry responded, saying Thai forces launched dawn attacks on Cambodian troops at two sites after several days of provocations. The ministry claimed that Cambodian soldiers did not retaliate. Thailand’s army, however, accused Cambodia of firing BM-21 rockets toward civilian areas on its side, though no civilian casualties were reported.
Regional leaders are urging restraint. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, chair of ASEAN, warned that the fighting could unravel the fragile ceasefire efforts he helped mediate. “We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint, keep channels of communication open, and make full use of the mechanisms in place,” Anwar said in a statement.
Read More: Thailand, Cambodia Report New Border Clashes Putting Ceasefire in Jeopardy
The border dispute previously escalated into a five-day conflict in July, claiming at least 48 lives and displacing around 300,000 people temporarily. Rockets and heavy artillery were exchanged before a truce was signed in October in Kuala Lumpur, witnessed by both Anwar Ibrahim and Donald Trump.
Thailand cited a landmine explosion last month, which injured a soldier, as the reason for pausing the ceasefire. Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen, father of current Prime Minister Hun Manet, accused Thai forces of deliberately provoking retaliation but urged Cambodian troops to exercise caution. “The red line for responding has already been set. Commanders should educate all officers and soldiers accordingly,” Hun Sen said in a statement.
Read More: Thailand, Cambodia Agree to ASEAN’s Monitoring of Ceasefire
On the ground, more than 385,000 civilians in four Thai border districts are being evacuated, with over 35,000 already accommodated in temporary shelters.
Thailand and Cambodia have long contested sovereignty along parts of their 817-kilometre border, initially mapped in 1907 under French colonial rule in Cambodia. Border tensions have periodically flared into skirmishes, including a week-long artillery exchange in 2011, despite repeated attempts to resolve disputes peacefully.
