Thursday, on July 24, Cambodian and Thai forces clashed along their shared border, exchanging fire in one of the most serious escalations in years. At least 12 people were killed as Thailand fighter jets were deployed against Cambodian military targets, and Thailand’s health ministry shared that 11 civilians and one Thai soldier had been killed during their clashes. Amongst them, 31 people have been injured. Cambodian authorities have yet to report fatalities on their side.
Both governments blame the other for escalating the conflict and provoking violence by firing first. Thailand accuses Cambodia of firing rockets onto Thai soil, and defends that it responded with mortars, while Cambodia claims that a Thai jet dropped two bombs near a Cambodian temple. As the conflict progressed, tensions escalated between the two countries, with the threat of a full-scale war becoming imminent.
The violence began after months of rising tensions when a Thai soldier lost his leg in a landmine explosion. The Thai Army shared that five soldiers were wounded when one of them stepped on a land mine near the border, causing the Thai government to close all border crossings with Cambodia and expel a Cambodian diplomat on July 23. This happened a week after three other Thai soldiers were wounded after one stepped on a landmine along the border, which has several areas claimed by both countries. Thai authorities were enraged by the two incidents, as the mines were located along newly laid paths that both governments had agreed were safe. After closer inspection, the mines were Russian-made and not a type used by Thailand’s military, causing the Thai government to blame Cambodia and demand that it “take responsibility for the incident, which constitutes a serious threat to peace and stability in the border region between the two countries.”
However, Cambodia refused to apologize, rejecting the Thai version of the events and titling it as “baseless accusations.” The government denied leaving any new mines along the border, and pointed out that there were many unexploded mines near the country from the civil war that began in 1970 and ended in 1998. Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Lieutenant General Moly Socheata even accused Thailand of violating a 2000 agreement, sharing that the explosion took place on Cambodian territory, which was not “on agreed paths for patrols.” Both sides, due to extreme nationalism, refused to accept blame, hindering any efforts to defuse the situation.
When violence erupted on Thursday, Cambodia’s Defense Ministry reported “brutal, barbaric, and violent aggression” from Thailand before accusing the country of breaking international law. The Cambodian Ministry confirmed that a Thai F-16 had dropped two bombs on a road near the ancient Preach Vihear temple, which is a heritage site protected by UNESCO. Then, the statement added that, “Cambodia reserves the right to lawful self-defense and will respond decisively to Thailand’s violent aggression,” asserting that armed forces are “fully prepared to defend the kingdom’s sovereignty and its people–whatever the cost.”
In response, Thailand’s 2nd regional military command claimed that the F-16 fighter jets had only been deployed in two areas, and that the strikes were only aimed at military targets. Thailand accused Cambodia of committing its own war crimes, accusing Cambodia of firing two BM-21 rockets into a civilian area in Kap Choeng district. Throughout the day, Bangkok’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Cambodian attacks on civilian areas continued, even targeting a hospital in Surin. Thailand’s military condemned the “violent acts against civilian targets by the Cambodian side,” asserting that it was “prepared to take military action to the fullest extent to protect its sovereignty and its people from such inhumane actions.” As the Thai government continued to accuse Cambodia of violating its sovereignty and international law by allegedly laying landmines within Thai territory, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called upon the United Nations Security Council to “stop Thailand’s aggression.”
When the two countries continued to exchange fire on Friday, July 25, over 135,000 civilians along the border were forced to evacuate. That day, Cambodian officials accused the Thai military of using cluster munitions at two locations on Friday, to which Thailand admitted that it would consider using them “as necessary against military targets to enhance destruction capabilities.” Cluster munitions, which are also known as cluster bombs, are canisters that can carry up to hundreds of smaller submunitions. While they are a strong military asset, they are controversial since submunitions can fall over a wide area. After the bomblets fall, it could take decades for them to explode. Due to these risks, over 100 nations are part of the CCM treaty to prohibit all use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions. Thailand and Cambodia are not part of this treaty.
This is not the first time the Thai-Cambodian border has been met with conflict. A professor of political science in Bangkok shared that, “Both sides, Cambodians and Thais, feel resentful of history. Thais think the French took some land from Thailand and gave it to Cambodia. Cambodians think that this is their civilization from a long, long time ago, and ultimately this is their land.”
In response to mounting casualties and displacement, both nations signaled a willingness to begin ceasefire talks. On Saturday, July 26, leaders of the two governments met to quickly work out a ceasefire after three days of fighting. Although both sides were skeptical of the other at first, they worked their differences out through diplomacy and signed an unconditional ceasefire on Monday, July 28. In a meeting held under U.S. pressure in the Malaysian administrative capital of Putrajaya, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to stop fighting at midnight. At the end of the conference, the two leaders then shook hands, marking a step towards peace for the two nations.
While the ceasefire offers temporary relief to citizens of both countries, the recent clashes have exposed the fragility of peace along the shared Thai-Cambodian border. With accusations still flying and mutual distrust lingering, regional observers warn that without long-term diplomatic efforts and international mediation, the conflict could reignite. For now, the world watches closely, hoping that this fragile pause holds.
Written by Claire Liu
