Thailand launches airstrikes as border tensions with Cambodia escalate again

Clashes erupted along Thailand’s disputed border with Cambodia on Monday morning, killing at least one Thai soldier and injuring four others, Thailand’s military said. Later that day, the Thai air force launched airstrikes against Cambodian military positions in several locations, accusing Cambodia of deploying heavy weapons and repositioning combat units near the border, The Guardian reported.

Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense, however, placed responsibility for the escalation on Thailand. It said Thai forces had attacked Cambodian troops earlier in the day and claimed that Cambodia had so far refrained from striking back, despite what it called «provocative actions for many days.»

The renewed fighting comes just six weeks after a ceasefire agreement was signed to halt a five-day conflict that broke out in July. That earlier round of violence killed at least 48 people and displaced about 300,000. The crisis also led to the resignation of former Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra following a controversial phone call with Cambodian political heavyweight Hun Sen. The truce was brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim playing a key mediating role.

Anwar has now urged both sides to show restraint, warning that the latest clashes could undo recent progress in stabilizing relations.

The dispute over the border, which stretches for over 817 kilometers, dates back to when France, then Cambodia’s colonial ruler, first mapped the frontier. Nationalist sentiment in both countries has fueled recurring tensions, while France has promised to help provide documents to help prevent further bloodshed.

According to Reuters, Thailand’s defense budget is about $5.7 billion, with over 360,000 active personnel, compared with Cambodia’s roughly $1.3 billion in defense spending and a force of around 124,000 soldiers. Thailand last engaged in a full-scale war during the Second World War. At the same time, Cambodia endured decades of conflict before formally establishing peace in 1991 under the Paris Peace Agreement, which ended the Vietnamese occupation.