THAILAND carried out airstrikes against Cambodia on Monday after fresh fighting flared along the two countries’ disputed border, raising doubts over the survival of a peace agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump just two months ago.
Thai and Cambodian authorities each blamed the other for initiating hostilities early Monday, following weeks of rising tension and Thailand’s earlier decision to suspend progress on the ceasefire.
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) said the strikes were limited to military targets, including weapons depots, command centers, and supply routes, it described as posing an immediate threat to Thai territory.
According to the RTAF, Cambodian forces had recently moved heavy weapons, redeployed combat units, and prepared fire-support systems in ways that risked escalating the conflict along the border.
A senior Thai military official said the airstrikes were launched in retaliation for an earlier attack that killed one Thai soldier and wounded two others.
Thai Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree said Cambodian artillery and mortar units operating near the Chong An Ma Pass fired on the Thai Anupong Base, prompting a targeted response against Cambodian weapons-support positions.
The Thai army also claimed Cambodian forces began shelling areas near the border at around 3 a.m. local time.
Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense rejected Thailand’s claims, dismissing them as “false information” and insisting that Cambodian forces did not retaliate during what it described as two separate Thai assaults.
The ministry said Cambodia remained committed to resolving disputes peacefully in line with international law and was closely monitoring developments with restraint.
In a separate statement, the Cambodian army accused Thai troops of launching an attack on Cambodian positions shortly after 5 a.m., saying the incident followed days of what it described as repeated Thai provocations.
Thai authorities said about 70% of civilians living in border communities had been evacuated as a precaution. One civilian reportedly died during the evacuation due to a pre-existing medical condition.
Thailand and Cambodia were involved in a five-day border conflict in July that left dozens dead and displaced roughly 200,000 people on both sides.
An initial ceasefire was reached on July 28 after Trump spoke separately with the leaders of both countries.
This was followed by a broader ceasefire declaration signed in Kuala Lumpur in late October, witnessed by Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Trump hailed the agreement at the time as a significant diplomatic achievement and part of his broader claim of helping end multiple global conflicts.
However, the deal began to unravel less than two weeks later after Thailand paused its implementation, citing a landmine blast along the border that wounded several Thai soldiers.
Thailand and Cambodia have a long history of sporadic clashes over their poorly demarcated frontier, and Monday’s fighting marked one of the most serious flare-ups in years, with both sides again trading blame over who triggered the latest violence.