A ceasefire purportedly brokered by US President Donald Trump is in serious jeopardy as Cambodia levels accusations of fresh airstrikes by Thailand. The Cambodian Ministry of Defence stated that on Saturday, Thai F-16 fighter jets conducted strikes on Cambodian bunkers and military infrastructure in the Trat region and other border locations, resulting in the reported deaths of over 165 soldiers. This claim emerged immediately after President Trump announced that leaders of Cambodia and Thailand had agreed to reinforce a truce following several days of deadly conflict.
In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump declared, “They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim.” This statement followed his phone discussions with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
The initial agreement for a ceasefire was reached in July, with mediation from Malaysia and strong backing from Donald Trump, who had previously warned of trade sanctions for non-adherence. The pact was later expanded and formally embraced in October at a regional summit hosted by Malaysia, with Trump in attendance. Nevertheless, persistent tensions have led to continued hostile rhetoric and intermittent clashes along the frontier.
Thailand has confirmed its forces have carried out airstrikes targeting military objectives. Cambodia, as a countermeasure, has positioned BM-21 multiple rocket launchers, systems with a range of approximately 30-40 kilometers. The ongoing conflict between Thailand and Cambodia originates from a territorial dispute concerning the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, a site awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, yet still claimed by Thailand.