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Thailand has initiated new attacks along the border with neighboring Cambodia. Following clashes that erupted in July of this year, which resulted in several deaths, both parties blame each other for violating a U.S.-mediated truce.

The Thai Ministry of Defense stated that over 35,000 individuals have departed regions close to the border to seek refuge, with additional people thought to have gone to stay with family members in other locations. Meanwhile, Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra mentioned that residents from several villages near the border have been evacuated.

Conflict erupts after Sunday’s gunfire exchange

The truce faced tension in early November when Thai soldiers were harmed by landmines, prompting Thailand to declare an indefinite halt in following the agreement. Despite this, both parties keep exchanging blame regarding accountability, even though they are meant to work together in removing the mines.

In mid-November, Trump stated that he had taken action to maintain the ceasefire as tensions remained high between the two nations.

However, a short conflict occurred along the border on Sunday, with both sides claiming the other opened fire first. The Thai military stated that Cambodian fire injured two Thai soldiers, prompting Thai forces to respond, leading to an exchange of gunfire that lasted approximately 20 minutes. Cambodia claimed that the Thai side fired first and that their troops did not retaliate.

On Monday, Thai military representative Major General Winthai Suvaree stated that Cambodian forces opened fire into Thai territory across several locations. He mentioned that one Thai soldier was killed and four others were injured, with civilians being evacuated from the impacted regions.

Thailand employed aircraft to target military positions in various regions, aiming to curb Cambodian fire support attacks, he stated.

A representative from the Cambodian Ministry of Defense, Maly Socheata, stated that the Thai military launched an attack on Cambodian forces on Monday, and that Cambodia did not respond during the initial incidents.

“Cambodia calls on Thailand to immediately cease all hostile actions that endanger peace and security in the area,” she stated.

The prime minister of Malaysia, a neighboring region, Anwar Ibrahim, urged caution in a social media post and stated that his nation is prepared to assist in preventing further conflict.

“Our region is unable to tolerate longstanding conflicts descending into repeated confrontations,” he wrote.

A long history of conflict exists beneath the territorial disagreement

Thailand and Cambodia have a long-standing history of conflict that dates back hundreds of years, when they were competing empires.

Their current territorial assertions primarily originate from a 1907 map created during Cambodia’s period of French colonial administration, a document that Thailand has contested as being unreliable.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice granted Cambodia control over a region containing the Preah Vihear temple, a historic site dating back 1,000 years, a decision that continues to cause resentment among many Thais.

The truce does not outline a way to address the fundamental cause of the conflict, the long-standing disagreements regarding the location of the border.