Thailand launched air strikes along its disputed border with Cambodia on Monday after fresh fighting erupted before dawn on Monday, raising fears of the collapse of a peace plan brokered just months ago by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Both sides accused the other of breaching the ceasefire in clashes that broke out in the early hours along sections of the frontier, following weeks of rising tension and Thailand’s halt to parts of the truce last month.
The Royal Thai Air Force said it targeted only military infrastructure, including weapons depots, command centres and logistical supply routes it assessed as direct threats.
Cambodia, however, said Thai forces launched dawn attacks on its positions and denied Thailand’s claim that it had initiated the violence. Cambodia’s defence ministry said its troops had not retaliated and accused Thailand of spreading false information.
At least one Thai soldier was killed and at least seven wounded in clashes around two areas in Thailand’s easternmost province of Ubon Ratchathani, the Thai military said. It said its forces came under Cambodian fire before aircraft were deployed.
A Thai military official said the air strikes were in retaliation for an earlier Cambodian artillery and mortar attack that hit a Thai base near the Chong An Ma Pass.
Cambodia’s army said Thai forces had carried out “provocative actions for many days” before launching what it described as a direct assault on its positions.
Thailand said around 70% of civilians in some border towns had been evacuated. More than 385,000 people across four border districts were being moved, with more than 35,000 already in temporary shelters. One civilian death was reported during the evacuation due to a pre-existing medical condition.
The latest fighting revives a conflict that flared into a five-day war in July, killing dozens of people and displacing about 300,000 civilians on both sides. The neighbours exchanged rockets and heavy artillery fire in their most intense clashes in years.
A ceasefire was brokered on 28 July after U.S. President Donald Trump held calls with the leaders of both countries. An expanded ceasefire declaration was later signed in Kuala Lumpur in October in a ceremony witnessed by President Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Trump at the time described the agreement as a major diplomatic breakthrough. However, within weeks, the ceasefire began to unravel.
Thailand said it suspended implementation of the agreement after a landmine explosion at the border severely injured several Thai soldiers. Since then, tensions have steadily escalated.
Thailand and Cambodia have disputed sovereignty at several undemarcated points along their 817-kilometre land border for more than a century. The boundary was first mapped in 1907 when Cambodia was under French colonial rule.
The dispute has repeatedly erupted into violence, including a week-long artillery exchange in 2011. Despite repeated diplomatic efforts to settle overlapping claims, the frontier remains one of Southeast Asia’s most volatile flashpoints.
China’s ruling Communist Party is stepping up oversight of technology firms, internet platforms and digital finance in a sweeping drive to ta...
A wave of bomb threats targeting passenger flights has disrupted air travel across Europe, forcing diversions, airport closures and fighter jet esc...
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington will end its annual financial and military aid to Israel by the end of 2026, under an agreement he clai...
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says the U.S. must act to prevent war after Tehran sent a “strong and rational response” to Washington. Meanwhile, U.S. forces have reportedly carried out limited strikes against Iranian targets, including Qeshm Island,
Hundreds of millions of U.S. citizens head to the polls on 3 November to elect the House of Representatives and Senate. How they vote could influence the direction of Donald Trump’s remaining 26 months in office and the outcomes of the Ukraine and Iran conflicts.
A six-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Russian-held Ukrainian town of Oleshky ended on Sunday, 1 November, after facilitating aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.
Kyrgyzstan has emerged as Central Asia’s fastest-growing economy, fuelled by a construction boom, public investment and trade linked to Russia. But with Western sanctions tightening, can the country sustain its rapid growth?
Russia airstrikes on a school used as a humanitarian aid distribution point in southeastern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region killed at least 26 people, including rescue workers and police officers, Ukrainian officials said. Another 27 people were reported missing.
China’s ruling Communist Party is stepping up oversight of technology firms, internet platforms and digital finance in a sweeping drive to tackle corruption and tighten control over the country’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
A wave of bomb threats targeting passenger flights has disrupted air travel across Europe, forcing diversions, airport closures and fighter jet escorts. No explosives have been found, raising questions about who is behind the alerts and whether the disruption itself is the goal.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington will end its annual financial and military aid to Israel by the end of 2026, under an agreement he claims to have reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that Ukraine's negotiators will meet with Russian and U.S. delegations in Abu Dhabi next week for the first peace talks mediated by Washington since February.
Spanish police are investigating the death of Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel, who died after a collision with an opposing goalkeeper during a second-division football match. The case raises questions about when an on-field challenge can become a criminal offence.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment