Thailand–Cambodia Tensions Erupt Again as Airstrikes Hit Border Zone
So here’s what’s happening right now between Thailand and Cambodia, and it’s a situation that has escalated much faster than anyone expected. Fresh clashes have broken out along their long-disputed border, and within hours, the tension was pushed to a new level when Thailand launched air strikes. This flare-up comes despite a ceasefire agreement that had only recently been brokered after their brief but intense conflict in July.
According to the Thai military, the new violence started early in the morning when its troops came under Cambodian fire in Ubon Ratchathani province. One Thai soldier was killed and four others were wounded. After that, Thai aircraft were ordered into action, striking what were described as Cambodian military positions. The Thai side claimed that Cambodia had mobilised heavy weaponry and repositioned combat units near the border, prompting this airborne response.
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Cambodia, however, has told a very different story. Its defence ministry said Thailand launched unprovoked dawn attacks at two locations, following what it described as days of provocative behaviour. Cambodian officials insisted their troops had not retaliated, even though they said Thailand was trying to pull them into a wider confrontation. Local authorities on the Cambodian side reported that at least three civilians were seriously injured, adding another layer of urgency to the situation.
What makes all of this more alarming is that these clashes have come just weeks after former US President Donald Trump personally oversaw the signing of a ceasefire. That deal was supposed to cool tensions after a five-day conflict in July that killed at least 48 people and forced around 300,000 people from their homes. Even then, the agreement had been shaky. Thailand announced last month that it was suspending its commitments after a landmine blast along the border maimed one of its soldiers.
Both countries are now accusing each other of breaking the deal. Thailand says Cambodian forces fired BM-21 rockets toward civilian areas. Cambodia says Thailand has been escalating intentionally. Former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen — still highly influential — publicly urged his military to show restraint, warning them not to fall into any trap that could widen the conflict. Meanwhile, Thailand’s prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul insisted that Bangkok does not want war but will not accept violations of its sovereignty.
The human impact is already huge. More than 385,000 Thai civilians have been ordered to evacuate across four border provinces, and tens of thousands are already in shelters. On the Cambodian side, more than a thousand families have reportedly been moved to safer areas. Malaysia, which helped broker the earlier agreement, has urged both countries to step back from further escalation, warning that all the diplomatic progress made this year could unravel quickly.
This border dispute goes back more than a century, and every few years it seems to bubble up again. But with air strikes now in the mix, this episode is feeling more dangerous than most — and both nations are under pressure to rein things in before the situation spirals even further.
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