Thailand’s military reported engaging in a gun battle with Cambodian forces at their shared border yesterday, alleging that Cambodia breached a ceasefire agreement from December. Cambodian troops allegedly fired a single 40 mm grenade round near a Thai patrol in the Sisaket border province in the morning, leading to a retaliatory response by Thai forces, as per an official statement. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries on the Thai side.
The Thai army stated that they reacted by firing an M79 grenade launcher towards the source of the shot, following the rules of engagement for warning and self-defense. Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree claimed that Cambodia’s actions violated the ceasefire deal, which had aimed to end weeks of fatal border clashes in late December.
According to the Thai military’s initial evaluation, the incident may have occurred due to a rotation of Cambodian troops, with new personnel possibly lacking familiarity with regulations and command control, resulting in operational shortcomings. In contrast, Cambodia refuted the allegations, with Phnom Penh’s information minister dismissing them as false and fabricated, accusing Thailand of distorting facts to incite tensions along the border.
The longstanding border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, originating from disagreements over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometer frontier, has persisted over the years. Despite the ceasefire agreement reached in December, which included commitments to halt hostilities, freeze troop movements, and collaborate on demining activities along the border, recent events have reignited tensions.
Thailand accused Cambodia of breaching the truce last month, citing cross-border mortar fire that injured a soldier, while Cambodia claimed that an explosion from a “pile of garbage” harmed two of their troops. Following renewed clashes, Cambodia accused Thai forces of capturing border areas in violation of agreements and demanded their withdrawal, while Thailand asserted its actions were reclaiming historically Thai territories that had been occupied by Cambodians.
Although both countries agreed to halt hostilities in December, the underlying border conflict, rooted in historical disputes over colonial-era boundaries, remains unresolved and continues to strain relations between Thailand and Cambodia.