Tensions along the disputed Thai-Cambodian border escalated sharply on Monday, with the Thai military confirming it has launched air strikes after troops came under fire from Cambodian forces. The renewal of conflict marks the breakdown of a fragile ceasefire agreement brokered just months ago by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
🚨 Thailand has launched renewed airstrikes along the disputed border with Cambodia, after both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire deal brokered by Donald Trump six weeks ago
Read more about the tensions ⤵️https://t.co/k3wRLGj68I pic.twitter.com/yYp49s1S30
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) December 8, 2025
New Fighting and Conflicting Claims
Clashes erupted around two areas in Thailand’s easternmost province of Ubon Ratchathani. The Thai military issued a statement reporting that at least one Thai soldier was killed and four wounded, and confirmed the use of air power: “The Thai side has now begun using aircraft to strike military targets in several areas.”
Conversely, Cambodia’s defence ministry accused Thailand of launching dawn attacks on its forces at two locations following days of provocative actions. The Cambodian ministry maintained that its troops had not retaliated.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s army claimed Cambodia’s military had fired BM-21 rockets towards Thai civilian areas, though no casualties were reported from that specific incident.
Ceasefire Failure and Evacuations
The conflict reignited after the five-day war in July that killed at least 48 people and displaced approximately 300,000 temporarily. A subsequent expanded peace agreement was signed in Kuala Lumpur in October. However, Thailand had already announced a halt to the implementation of the pact last month following a landmine blast that maimed one of its soldiers.
Former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, father of the current premier, entered the fray, calling the Thai military “aggressors” seeking to provoke a retaliatory response. While urging Cambodian forces to exercise restraint, he noted that “The red line for responding has already been set.”
In Thailand, the military has initiated the evacuation of over 385,000 civilians across four border districts, with more than 35,000 already moved to temporary shelters.
Regional Call for Restraint
Amid the escalating violence, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, currently serving as the chair of the regional bloc ASEAN, urged both nations to step back from confrontation.
“We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint, maintain open channels of communication and make full use of the mechanisms in place,” Anwar posted on X, warning that the fighting risks undoing the careful diplomatic work that went into brokering the ceasefire.
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The dispute stems from more than a century of contestation over undemarcated points along their 817-kilometer land border, first mapped by France in 1907. Despite numerous attempts to resolve overlapping claims peacefully, simmering tension continues to ignite into military skirmishes.
