Thailand, Cambodia report renewed border clashes after Trump-brokered truce paused
Gunfire broke out along the Thai-Cambodian border on Wednesday, days after Thailand suspended a US-brokered peace agreement aimed at ending months of hostilities. The incident has raised concerns over renewed instability in the region, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Officials in both countries accused each other of opening fire along the boundary separating Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province and Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province. Cambodian authorities said Thai soldiers opened fire on civilians, resulting in one death and five injuries. The Royal Thai Army denied the claim, stating that Cambodian troops had fired into Thai territory around 4 p.m. local time, prompting its forces to take cover and respond with warning shots. No Thai casualties were reported.
The exchange of gunfire came two days after Bangkok halted implementation of a follow-up deal under the July truce, citing a landmine explosion that wounded four Thai soldiers. Cambodia’s Information Ministry later released photographs said to show civilians receiving medical assistance.
The conflict stems from a long-standing border dispute dating back to the French colonial era, when maps delineating the boundary between the two nations were first drawn. Fighting resumed earlier this year, leading to 43 deaths and the displacement of around 300,000 people before a ceasefire took effect on July 29.
That agreement, mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump with support from Chinese and Malaysian officials, called for the withdrawal of heavy weapons and the deployment of ceasefire monitors along the frontier. Analysts have noted, however, that the accord did not resolve the territorial disagreement at the heart of the conflict.
Following the latest incident, Thailand has postponed the release of 18 detained Cambodian soldiers, one of the key provisions of the joint declaration, adding further uncertainty to the fragile peace process.
