BANGKOK: Tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border boiled over before sunrise Monday, jolting residents awake as the Royal Thai Air Force launched airstrikes on what it claims were Cambodian military sites. The sudden burst of violence now threatens to tear apart a fragile peace agreement—one that U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker just two months ago, CNN reports.
For people living near the frontier, the latest clash was the culmination of weeks of unease. Both nations insist the other fired first, but what’s clear is that the situation had been steadily deteriorating long before dawn broke.
Thai officials say their airstrikes were aimed only at “immediate threats”—weapons depots, command hubs, and supply lines they believed posed a direct danger. According to Bangkok, Cambodian troops had recently moved heavy artillery and repositioned units in a way Thailand viewed as preparation for a larger offensive.
Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree described the airstrikes as a direct response to an earlier attack.
He said the targeted base at Chong An Ma had been used to fire artillery and grenade launchers at Thailand’s “Anupong” base around 3:00 AM—an assault he says killed one Thai soldier and wounded two more. “We had no choice but to respond,” he said.
But Cambodia is firmly rejecting that version of events. In a post on X, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense called Thailand’s claims “fake news,” insisting its forces stayed committed to the peace deal and did not retaliate during the skirmish. Shortly afterward, the Cambodian Army issued its own statement, accusing Thailand of launching an unprovoked attack at 5:04 AM after what it described as days of Thai provocation.
According to CNNs analysis featured on The Thaiger, the latest violence marks a severe setback for one of Trump’s most publicized diplomatic wins. After months of tension, both countries agreed to a ceasefire in July, which eventually led to a formal peace declaration in Kuala Lumpur in late October. Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim were present for the signing, a moment framed as a major step toward ending the decades-long border disputes.
But the deal never fully stabilized. Less than two weeks after the signing, Thailand paused progress on the agreement when several Thai soldiers were injured by landmines along the border.
As fighting now intensifies, Thai officials say they’ve evacuated about 70% of civilians living near the conflict zone. One evacuee died during the process, though authorities say pre-existing health issues—not military operations—were to blame.
With both sides locked into competing narratives and casualties beginning to rise again, hopes for reviving the young peace deal are fading fast. For families caught in the middle, the question isn’t about diplomacy or politics—it’s simply whether the next morning will bring calm, or more gunfire.
