On a border known more for tension than calm, the sound of aircraft tore through the silence separating Thailand and Cambodia, following a U.S.-brokered ceasefire just weeks ago—a ceasefire fragile enough to evaporate at the first spark of conflict. Amid renewed accusations between the neighboring countries, the specter of fighting now looms again over a region that has not yet recovered from previous deadly clashes, which claimed the lives of both soldiers and civilians.
اضافة اعلان
Exchanging Accusations
According to NBC News, Thailand conducted airstrikes on Monday along the disputed border with Cambodia, while each side accused the other of opening fire first. Tensions have escalated since the October ceasefire mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump, following five days of fighting in July that resulted in dozens of casualties.
Thai army spokesperson Major General Winthai Suphary stated that Cambodian forces fired on Thai territory at multiple sites, causing the death of one Thai soldier and injuries to four others, prompting evacuations of civilians from affected areas. He added that Thailand used aircraft to strike several military targets “to suppress the firing supporting Cambodian forces.”
In contrast, Malai Sucheta, spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of Defense, denied this account, asserting that the Thai army initiated the attacks and that Cambodia did not respond to initial strikes. She called on Thailand to immediately halt any activities threatening stability.
Rising Tensions
The Cambodian Ministry of Education announced the closure of several schools along the border, with social media images showing students hurriedly leaving classrooms—some on motorcycles, others running on foot.
NBC News noted that the U.S.-mediated ceasefire nearly collapsed last month after Thai soldiers were injured by landmines, prompting Bangkok to suspend its implementation indefinitely. Accusations continued despite ongoing cooperation in mine clearance operations.
A brief exchange of fire occurred on Sunday, with both sides blaming each other: the Thai military reported that Cambodian fire hit two Thai soldiers, prompting a 20-minute return attack, while Cambodia insisted that Thailand had initiated the assault. In mid-November, Trump had announced that he successfully halted the war amid rising tensions.
Deep-Rooted Disputes
The U.S. outlet reminded readers that hostility between the two nations spans centuries, when both were rival empires. The modern border dispute traces back to a 1907 map drawn by France during its colonial rule over Cambodia, which Thailand disputes as inaccurate.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice granted Cambodia sovereignty over a region containing the thousand-year-old Preah Vihear Temple—a ruling that still provokes anger among many Thais.
The current ceasefire fails to resolve disputes over border demarcation or the deep-rooted historical conflict, leaving the region vulnerable to any new flare-ups that could bring destruction back to the forefront.
