Fresh military clashes have erupted between Thailand and Cambodia along their disputed 800-kilometer border, shattering a fragile ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump in July and causing civilian casualties and mass displacement on both sides.
Cambodian officials reported Tuesday that overnight shelling by Thai forces killed two civilians, bringing the total number of Cambodian civilian deaths to seven since hostilities resumed. Thailand confirmed at least three of its soldiers have been killed in recent exchanges.
Both governments have traded blame for reigniting the conflict, accusing each other of violating the truce that Trump had touted as a “historic achievement” earlier this year. Cambodia had even nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation efforts in July.
The contested border region, a subject of territorial disputes for more than a century, has seen repeated flare-ups despite international mediation attempts. Recent skirmishes have displaced thousands of residents on both sides, with many fleeing to makeshift camps amid heavy artillery and small-arms fire.
There are warnings that the breakdown in diplomacy raises the risk of a prolonged conflict, straining ASEAN’s unity and testing the influence of external mediators. Observers from the United Nations and ASEAN are urgently calling for restraint and a return to dialogue, while aid organizations prepare for a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Neither side has indicated willingness to return to negotiations, with military commanders on the ground reporting sustained troop buildups near key flashpoints.
