Malaysia on Monday called on Thailand and Cambodia to exercise “maximum restraint” after Thai fighter jets carried out air strikes along the disputed border, igniting the most serious escalation since last year’s ceasefire agreement.
The strikes came early on Monday following fresh clashes that left one Thai soldier dead and four wounded, according to local media. The incident threatens to upend the fragile ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump in October.
“Thailand and Cambodia are close partners of Malaysia and key members of ASEAN. We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint, maintain open channels of communication, and make full use of existing mechanisms,” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a statement.
Anwar warned that renewed hostilities “risk unravelling the careful work” invested in stabilising relations.
“Our region cannot afford to see long-standing disputes slip into cycles of confrontation. The immediate priority is to halt the fighting, safeguard civilians, and return to a diplomatic path supported by international law and ASEAN’s neighbourly spirit,” he added.
Strikes on Cambodian positions
Thailand’s Air Force said F-16s struck Cambodian positions in the Chong Ahn Ma area in response to what officials described as artillery and aerial munitions fired at Thai forces near Anupong Base. Army spokesman Major General Winthai Suvaree claimed Cambodian positions were “actively attacking Thai forces.”
Cambodia condemned the strikes, calling them a serious violation of the ceasefire and accusing Thai troops of “brutal and inhumane” attacks in Preah Vihear province, according to the Khmer Times.
Civilians on both sides are reportedly evacuating en masse, echoing July’s deadly clashes that displaced thousands.
Thailand and Cambodia signed their US- and Malaysia-witnessed ceasefire on October 26 in Kuala Lumpur during the ASEAN Summit, in a bid to finally resolve their decades-long border dispute.
