Border clash between Thailand and Cambodia escalated sharply on Monday, leaving at least four Cambodian civilians dead after Thai air strikes hit areas along the disputed frontier.
“At least four Cambodian civilians were killed in the Thai attacks” in the border provinces of Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear, Cambodia’s information minister Neth Pheaktra told AFP, adding that 10 other civilians were wounded.
The renewed violence marks the most serious flare-up since a fragile truce ended five days of intense combat earlier this year, which killed 43 people and displaced roughly 300,000 civilians on both sides of the border.
Thailand’s army confirmed launching air strikes on Cambodia on Monday, saying the action was taken in self-defence following Cambodian attacks that killed a Thai soldier and wounded several others.
Thai army spokesman Winthai Suvaree said one Thai soldier was killed and eight wounded in fighting near the border early Monday. Thailand responded by deploying air power against what it described as Cambodian military positions.
“The Thai air power is being used only against Cambodian military targets,” Winthai said, insisting the strikes were “highly precise” and aimed at containing Cambodian fire “with no impact on civilians.”
Cambodia disputed that account. Defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said Thai forces attacked Cambodian troops in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces, accusing Thailand of firing tank shells near the Tamone Thom temple and launching an F-16 air strike at around 9:00 am.
She said Thai fire had struck civilian areas, burning homes and forcing residents to flee, and maintained that Cambodian forces did not retaliate.
The fighting sent thousands of civilians scrambling for safety on both sides of the border. Cambodian officials said at least 1,157 families had evacuated to safer areas in Oddar Meanchey province, while Thailand’s Second Army Region said around 35,000 people had been evacuated from Thai border communities.
In Thailand’s Surin province, farmer Pannarat Woratham said she fled her home on Sunday after local authorities warned residents to evacuate.
“The village head told us to evacuate, and given what happened in July, I complied immediately,” the 59-year-old told AFP, referring to earlier clashes that involved fighter jets, missile strikes and ground troops.
“This is the second time I’ve had to flee. Of course many of us thought the conflict was finally over,” she said. “It shouldn’t have happened again like this.”
The clashes follow a breakdown in efforts to stabilise the frontier. A ceasefire brokered in July by the United States, China and Malaysia temporarily halted fighting, and was followed by a joint declaration co-signed by US President Donald Trump in October. Thailand later suspended the follow-on agreement after a landmine blast wounded several Thai soldiers, reigniting tensions.
Malaysia’s prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose country chairs ASEAN, urged restraint on Monday, warning that Southeast Asia could not afford a slide back into violence. “Our region cannot afford to see long-standing disputes slip into cycles of confrontation,” he said.
The dispute centres on a century-old disagreement over borders drawn during French colonial rule, with both sides claiming historic temple sites scattered along the frontier.
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