Cambodian and Thai forces clashed along their disputed border on Thursday, with Thailand deploying F-16 fighter jets and Cambodia firing rockets, killing at least 12 people and injuring 17, according to Thai authorities. The escalation was triggered by landmines laid along the border.
The two neighbours contest parts of the border stretching across Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province and Thailand’s northeastern Ubon Ratchathani province.
Tensions have been rising since 28 May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in what was described as cross-border fire.
Cambodia’s claim is based on a 1907 map created during French colonial rule under the Franco-Siamese treaty, which placed areas such as the Preah Vihear Temple under Cambodian control, according to Modern Diplomacy.
Thailand has long contested this, arguing the map was unilaterally drawn by French officials without Thai consent and deviated from natural watershed boundaries, creating conflicting interpretations.
Efforts to resolve the issue diplomatically failed.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 1962 that the Preah Vihear Temple belonged to Cambodia, but other parts of the border remained undefined, keeping tensions alive.
A further ICJ ruling in 2013 confirmed Cambodia’s sovereignty over the surrounding promontory but left adjacent disputed areas unsettled.
The dispute turned violent in 2008, shortly after the Preah Vihear Temple was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, which Thailand opposed.
Both sides accused each other of starting the fighting.
The most deadly clashes were in 2011, killing at least 15 people and displacing tens of thousands.
Fighting centred on jungle border areas dotted with ancient temples claimed by both sides.
A cease-fire was declared after seven days, but sporadic skirmishes continued as the border remains undemarcated.
Cambodia remains one of the world’s most heavily mined countries, with an estimated 4–6 million landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) left from decades of conflict, including the Khmer Rouge era and the Vietnam War, according to APOPO.
The high density of mines has made border regions dangerous, contributing to one of the highest amputee rates per capita globally.
Demining efforts by organizations such as The HALO Trust and the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) have cleared over 500 million square metres of land, but vast areas remain contaminated, increasing the risk of accidental cross-border incidents.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the Preah Vihear Temple belongs to Cambodia. However, the decision did not fully settle the dispute as the surrounding areas remained undefined.
In 2011, the United Nations ordered both sides to withdraw their forces and establish a demilitarized zone around the disputed area.
However, the UN did not decide who would control the larger territories where clashes continued to occur.
In November 2013, the ICJ confirmed Cambodia’s sovereignty over the entire Preah Vihear temple complex and ruled that Thailand was obligated to withdraw its military personnel from the area.
Despite this, tensions have persisted due to unresolved claims over other border regions.
Georgia and Armenia have resumed talks on their 225-kilometre border after years of limited progress, with disputes over historical boundaries, far...
China has extended the suspension of its additional 24 per cent tariff on U.S. goods for another two months, while keeping a 10 per cent levy in pl...
Russia and Ukraine are set to return to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a fourth round of U.S.-brokered peace talks, with European participation, security...
The bodies of 13 migrants have been recovered from a boat off the Greek island of Crete, the Greek coast guard said on Monday. A further 18 people were rescued, with four taken to hospital.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival, with trying to form a government after an inconclusive election. The decision, announced on Saturday, follows a vote that left neither candidate with a clear path to power.
Nvidia has launched an independent investigation into whether its chief executive, Jensen Huang, was targeted in a foreign intelligence operation, following allegations that a businesswoman with whom he had a relationship passed information to Beijing.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Qatar’s prime minister at the White House on Monday as efforts to end the conflict with Iran stall, with Washington and Tehran still far apart on the terms of a possible agreement.
The gunman who allegedly killed six people in Poland’s unprecedented mass shooting in central Kraków on Saturday has died in hospital, police said early Monday. The attacker had demonstrated advanced military-style marksmanship skills, according to a spokesperson for the shooting club he attended.
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
Azerbaijan is marking the sixth anniversary of Victory Day on Sunday, 8 November, with President Ilham Aliyev visiting the Victory Monument in Khankendi, laying a wreath and paying tribute to servicemen killed during the 44-day Second Garabagh War in 2020.
China has extended the suspension of its additional 24 per cent tariff on U.S. goods for another two months, while keeping a 10 per cent levy in place, as Beijing and Washington seek to maintain their fragile trade truce.
Russia and Ukraine are set to return to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a fourth round of U.S.-brokered peace talks, with European participation, security guarantees and territorial disputes expected to shape the negotiations.
The bodies of 13 migrants have been recovered from a boat off the Greek island of Crete, the Greek coast guard said on Monday. A further 18 people were rescued, with four taken to hospital.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival, with trying to form a government after an inconclusive election. The decision, announced on Saturday, follows a vote that left neither candidate with a clear path to power.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Qatar’s prime minister at the White House on Monday as efforts to end the conflict with Iran stall, with Washington and Tehran still far apart on the terms of a possible agreement.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment