Cambodia on Thursday accused Thailand of conducting fresh airstrikes with F-16 jets in the Preah Vihear province, targeting the Phnom Kmoch and Peak Sbeak areas in the morning, according to local media outlet Fresh News, which cited Cambodia’s Defense Ministry. In response, the ministry vowed that Cambodian forces “will continue to protect Cambodia’s territorial integrity and national dignity with unwavering resolve.”
The Royal Thai Army reported on the same day that it had destroyed more than six buildings used by transnational scam networks, including casinos and hotels, since the border clashes reignited on December 7, according to Thai media outlet The Nation. Despite a temporary lull reported by Cambodian media the previous night, the fighting has resulted in at least 55 deaths on both sides over the past 12 days, including 21 Thai soldiers, 16 Thai civilians, and 18 Cambodian civilians, with 78 others injured.
In a bid to mediate, a special Chinese envoy for Asian affairs will undertake a shuttle-diplomacy visit to Cambodia and Thailand to encourage early restoration of peace. The renewed hostilities come despite an earlier agreement, brokered in Kuala Lumpur in October with the presence of US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, to halt the fighting—a truce that collapsed after Thai soldiers were seriously injured by a landmine in the border region. Thailand and Cambodia continue to grapple with a long-running territorial dispute that has repeatedly erupted into deadly clashes.
