Thailand Launches Airstrikes on Cambodia Border — Ceasefire Collapses
Thailand carried out airstrikes along its disputed border with Cambodia on Monday after both nations accused each other of violating a fragile ceasefire signed in October. The border, already the site of deadly clashes in July, is seeing its worst escalation in months. Officials say over 50,000 Thai residents and tens of thousands of Cambodians hav
e fled their homes. At least one Thai soldier and four Cambodian civilians have been killed. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the military is acting only to defend national sovereignty, insisting Thailand “has never initiated a fight.” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet urged national unity, saying the priority is to protect citizens and defend Cambodia’s territory. Both sides traded blame: Thailand says Cambodian troops opened fire first, forcing retaliatory airstrikes. Cambodia says Thailand attacked first, killing civilians and hitting border villages. The renewed clashes come weeks after land-mine incidents strained the U.S.-brokered ceasefire pushed by Donald Trump. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for restraint, warning the region cannot risk “a cycle of confrontation.” The dispute, rooted in colonial-era maps and a historic temple ruling by the International Court of Justice, remains unresolved — and Monday’s violence shows how fragile the border remains.