Thailand Launches Airstrikes as Border Clashes With Cambodia Escalate
- Rahaman Hadisur
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff
H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia
Tensions along the Thailand Cambodia border have intensified after Thailand launched airstrikes in response to renewed clashes that have left both military personnel and civilians dead. The latest violence erupted just six weeks after a ceasefire agreement was brokered by former US president Donald Trump.
According to Thailand’s military, airstrikes were carried out after one Thai soldier was killed and four others injured during fighting on Monday morning. The Thai air force said it targeted Cambodian military positions and accused Cambodia of mobilising heavy weaponry and repositioning combat units near the disputed frontier.
Cambodia rejected these claims and accused Thailand of provoking the escalation. Its defence ministry said Thai forces had attacked Cambodian troops earlier in the day and insisted Cambodia had avoided retaliation despite enduring repeated provocations. Four Cambodian civilians were reportedly killed in Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces as a result of the clashes.
The fragile ceasefire signed in September, following a brief war in July that left at least 48 people dead and displaced 300000 people, has struggled to hold. Continued accusations of violations, along with Thailand’s announcement last month that it was suspending the agreement, have kept the border region on edge.
Thailand’s army chief of staff, Gen Chaiyapruek Duangprapat, said the military aims to degrade Cambodia’s military capability to neutralise future threats. Cambodia’s former prime minister Hun Sen urged his country’s troops to show restraint but warned that Thailand’s actions were pulling Cambodia toward retaliation.
Thai authorities ordered more than 385000 civilians to evacuate from four border provinces, with around 50000 already moving to shelters. Cambodia also evacuated more than a thousand families to safer areas.
Regional leaders expressed concern. Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who helped mediate the original ceasefire, urged both nations to maintain communication and avoid further escalation that could undermine regional stability.
The border dispute, rooted in century old territorial disagreements dating back to French colonial rule in Cambodia, has frequently sparked conflict. With both sides trading blame and showing no signs of backing down, the situation remains highly volatile and uncertain.hile expressing confidence in expanding economic and strategic ties in the years ahead.
