Bangkok, Thailand – The Thai military announced on Monday that it had launched airstrikes on areas inside Cambodia. This came after renewed border clashes and accusations from each side that the other had violated a recently reached ceasefire agreement.
This escalation comes amid international warnings of a complete collapse of the peace agreement, which was brokered months ago by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and US President Donald Trump.
Accusations were exchanged and airstrikes began.
A statement issued by the Thai army said that new clashes broke out around two areas in Ubon Ratchathani province in eastern Thailand, resulting in the death of one Thai soldier and injuries to four others.
The Thai statement added, “The Thai side has now begun using aircraft to strike military targets in several areas of Cambodia.” It also accused the Cambodian military of firing BM-21 rockets toward Thai civilian areas, asserting that no civilians were injured.
In response, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense issued a statement declaring that the Thai army had launched dawn attacks on its forces at two locations. This came days after what the ministry described as Thai “provocative actions.” The statement emphasized that Cambodian forces did not retaliate against these attacks.
A regional call for restraint
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the current chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), called on both countries to exercise maximum restraint.
“We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint and keep communication channels open. Existing mechanisms must be fully utilized,” Ibrahim said in a post on the X platform. He warned that the fighting threatens to unravel the broader peace agreement signed in Kuala Lumpur last October.
The conflict erupted in a five-day clash last July, resulting in the deaths of at least 48 people and the temporary displacement of an estimated 300,000.
It is worth noting that Thailand suspended the implementation of the ceasefire agreement last month, after one of its soldiers was injured by a landmine explosion.
