Renewed fighting between Thailand and Cambodia has spread along their disputed border, killing at least two civilians and one Thai soldier. Both sides blame each other for the clashes, which have undermined a ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump in July. The violence marks the fiercest border clashes since that temporary truce.
Thailand said it launched operations to expel Cambodian forces detected in its coastal province of Trat. The Thai Navy reported that Cambodia was deploying snipers, heavy weapons, and fortified positions. Officials called the actions a “direct and serious threat” to Thailand’s sovereignty.
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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet urged Thailand not to use military force against civilian villages. Cambodia said it had not retaliated, even after its troops came under sustained attack. Earlier clashes left six Cambodian civilians dead and one Thai soldier killed.
The border region has a long history of disputes over undemarcated territory and ancient temples, sparking periodic armed flare-ups. Previous major confrontations include a deadly artillery exchange in 2011 and a five-day conflict in July that killed at least 48 people and displaced 300,000.
Read more: Thailand launches air strikes as border ceasefire collapses
Authorities have evacuated hundreds of thousands of civilians on both sides. Thailand moved 438,000 people across five provinces, while Cambodia relocated hundreds of thousands for safety. Analysts warn that ongoing tensions could escalate unless both countries resume negotiations and restore the fragile ceasefire.