Over Fifty Dead as Thailand–Cambodia Border Clashes Drag On
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry accused Thai forces of launching artillery bombardments and drone strikes in contested border areas, according to media. The ministry said Cambodian troops retaliated by firing BM-21 rockets at Thai military positions.
The latest escalation followed the capture of the Chong Anh Ma area by Thai soldiers after intense clashes, a public broadcaster reported.
Bangkok said on Tuesday that Phnom Penh must take the first step toward declaring a ceasefire to stop the violence, which has forced more than 700,000 civilians on both sides of the border to flee their homes.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maratee Nalita Andamo said any truce must be credible and conditional, calling on Cambodia to “sincerely cooperate in demining efforts along the border” as a prerequisite for ending the conflict.
Thai authorities said the fighting has so far killed 19 Thai soldiers and 16 Thai civilians. Cambodia’s Interior Ministry reported 17 civilian deaths and 77 injuries on the Cambodian side.
The continued clashes come despite US President Donald Trump stating on Friday that the leaders of both countries had agreed to stop the renewed fighting.
Thailand and Cambodia signed a peace agreement in October in Kuala Lumpur in the presence of Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, but the deal was later suspended after Thai soldiers were seriously wounded in a landmine explosion in a border province.
Thai officials also said about 18 Cambodian soldiers remain in Thai custody following a series of incidents over the past five months.
The two Southeast Asian neighbors have a decades-long border dispute that has repeatedly turned violent, most recently in July, when clashes left at least 48 people dead.
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