Cambodian Defence Ministry’s Undersecretary of State and spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata reported that Thai F-16 fighter jets dropped around 40 bombs in a border village in Banteay Meanchey province. The bombardment resulted in the destruction of civilian houses and public infrastructure in Chok Chey village, as per a press briefing by Socheata.
Additionally, the Thai military launched artillery shells into a civilian residential area in Poipet Municipality of Banteay Meanchey province. The violence follows long-standing territorial disputes between Cambodia and Thailand, dating back to the colonial era, which reignited in late May due to military confrontations in border regions.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently emphasized the importance of fully implementing the Peace Accords during a phone call with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Rubio expressed the United States’ readiness to facilitate discussions to ensure peace and stability between Cambodia and Thailand. The clashes prompted border negotiations between the two countries, with a reported decrease in overall clashes along the frontier.
Thai media reported that the Secretariat meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) commenced on the Thai side of the border in Chanthaburi province. The meeting involved around 30 Cambodian delegates and Malaysian members of the ASEAN observer team in Thailand. A Thai military spokesperson highlighted a general decrease in the intensity of border skirmishes, with fire exchanges limited to localized areas.
In October, Thailand and Cambodia signed a joint peace declaration during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia. However, violence resurfaced just two months later, underscoring the ongoing challenges in the region.
