At least one Thai soldier has been killed and several others wounded as clashes intensified along Thailand’s disputed border with Cambodia, with both sides accusing the other of breaking a US-brokered ceasefire.
A Thai military spokesperson said on Monday that fighting had widened to multiple new locations as Cambodia increased its deployment of troops and weapons, Reuters reported. “At least one Thai soldier has been killed and seven others wounded” in the clashes, the spokesperson said.
The renewed hostilities come despite the ceasefire deal negotiated after a five-day border war in July. The truce was initially pushed by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with Trump later witnessing the signing of an expanded agreement between the two neighbours in Kuala Lumpur in October.
Amid the latest escalation, Cambodia’s influential former Prime Minister Hun Sen called for restraint while marking clear limits on how far Cambodian forces should respond.
In a Facebook post on Monday, he said, "The red line for responding has already been set. I urge commanders at all levels to educate all officers and soldiers accordingly."
He accused the Thai military of trying to provoke a reaction from Phnom Penh.
The Thai army, however, said it was Cambodia that ignited the new round of fighting. Thai army spokesman Major General Winthai Suvaree confirmed on Monday that Thailand had launched airstrikes along the contested border areas after what he described as Cambodian attacks.
According to Reuters, Winthai said the strikes targeted Cambodian military positions following breaches of the ceasefire agreement.
Providing further details, he said Cambodian troops had fired first and across multiple locations. Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree said civilians were being evacuated. Thailand used aircraft “to strike military targets in several areas to suppress Cambodian supporting fire attacks,” he said.
Cambodia rejected Thailand’s version of events. Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata said the Thai military initiated Monday’s fighting and insisted that Cambodian forces refrained from responding at first.
“Cambodia urges that Thailand immediately stop all hostile activities that threaten peace and stability in the region,” she said.
The October ceasefire has faced strain for weeks. Last month, Thai troops were injured by land mines, prompting both sides to trade accusations over responsibility even as they were supposed to be cooperating to clear the area of explosives. Trump commented in mid-November that he had “stopped a war” between the two Southeast Asian nations as tensions threatened to flare again.
With Monday’s airstrikes and ground clashes, the fragile truce now appears at risk of collapsing entirely, raising fears of a broader conflict if both sides fail to de-escalate.