Thailand announced on Tuesday that its forces had launched operations to push Cambodian troops out of what it says is Thai territory, as clashes between the two neighbours intensified and spread along multiple points of their disputed border. Both governments continue to accuse each other of provoking the renewed fighting, which has disrupted a fragile ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump in July after five days of heavy combat.
Cambodia’s Defence Ministry reported that two more civilians were killed overnight, raising its total death toll to six, while Thailand confirmed the death of one soldier. The Thai Navy stated that Cambodian troops were detected inside the coastal province of Trat, prompting Thai forces to take action, though officials did not release further operational details.
Phnom Penh has denied Thailand’s claims and insists it has not retaliated despite coming under sustained attack. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet warned that Thailand must not “use military force to attack civilian villages under the pretext of reclaiming its sovereignty.” Cambodian officials earlier said their forces had remained defensive even in the face of continued shelling.
According to the Thai Navy, Cambodian troops have expanded their presence along the frontier, deploying snipers and heavy weapons, reinforcing defensive positions, and digging new trenches. Thai authorities described these moves as a “direct and serious threat” to the country’s sovereignty and said the buildup had contributed to the latest round of clashes.
The fighting on Monday was the most intense since July’s confrontation, when a five-day exchange of rockets and heavy artillery killed at least 48 people and displaced some 300,000 before Trump intervened to secure a ceasefire. During that earlier escalation, Thailand evacuated 438,000 civilians across five border provinces, while Cambodian authorities reported that hundreds of thousands of their citizens had also been relocated to safer areas. Thailand now reports that 18 of its soldiers have been wounded, while Cambodia says nine civilians have been injured in the latest clashes.
The border between Thailand and Cambodia has been contested for more than a century, with several areas remaining unmarked and disagreements over the ownership of ancient temples fueling nationalist sentiment on both sides. These disputes have triggered periodic outbreaks of violence, including a deadly week-long artillery exchange in 2011 that caused significant casualties and damage.
Tensions began rising again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed during a border skirmish. The incident sparked a rapid troop buildup, a sharp decline in diplomatic communication, and a series of scattered clashes. The latest escalation has now raised fears that the already fragile truce could collapse entirely, risking a broader and more sustained conflict unless both sides seek de-escalation through dialogue.
Leave a comment