Thailand launched airstrikes against Cambodia on Monday, as a new wave of fighting erupts between the Southeast Asian neighbors and threatens to unravel a peace plan presided over by US President Donald Trump just two months ago.
Both countries accused the other of launching attacks along their disputed border on Monday morning, after weeks of heightened tensions and Thailand’s earlier suspension of progress on a ceasefire agreement.
Thai military officials said the airstrikes on Cambodian military positions were in retaliation for an attack earlier on Monday that killed one Thai soldier and injured two others.
“The targets were the Cambodian military’s weapons support bases in the Chong Amma Pass area, because those targets used artillery and mortar launchers to attack the Thai side of the Anupong base, killing one soldier and injuring two others,” said Thai Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvari.
According to the Thai military, Cambodia began targeting the Thai border around 3 a.m. local time on Monday.
In a separate statement, the Cambodian military accused the Thai military of launching an “attack on the Cambodian military” at around 5:04 a.m. local time.
“It should be noted that this attack occurred after the Thai military carried out numerous provocations over a number of days,” the ministry said.
According to a Thai statement, about 70% of Thai civilians have been evacuated from border towns. It added that one civilian was reported to have died due to a “pre-existing illness” during the evacuation process.
Thailand and Cambodia engaged in a five-day border conflict in July that left dozens of people dead and around 200,000 displaced on both sides of the border.
The first ceasefire between the two countries was agreed on July 28 after President Trump called their respective leaders.
Thailand and Cambodia subsequently signed an expanded ceasefire declaration in Kuala Lumpur in late October, in the presence of President Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
President Trump saw the moment as a major diplomatic victory and another blow to his vaunted and often controversial campaign of ending several wars.
However, less than two weeks after it was signed, the agreement between Thailand and Cambodia began to unravel.
Thailand announced it would halt progress on the agreement after several Thai soldiers were injured in a land mine explosion on the border.
Thailand and Cambodia have had brief skirmishes in recent decades over border disputes, with earlier fighting being one of the most serious in years. Both sides blamed the other for starting the recent escalation at the border and exchanged blame for the clashes.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
