On Friday, Thailand executed air strikes in a contested border region with Cambodia, as representatives from both nations continued their discussions to cease hostilities.
According to the Thai Air Force, they targeted a Cambodian “reinforced military site” after non-combatants evacuated the vicinity. Cambodia’s defense ministry accused Thailand of “random assaults” on civilian residences, resulting in injuries to multiple individuals.
Renewed fighting erupted earlier this month following a fragile ceasefire in July that had put an end to five days of fierce border conflicts.
Since the resurgence of conflict, at least 41 individuals have lost their lives, and nearly one million have been displaced.
Both nations have held each other responsible for the failure of the ceasefire.
Since then, the conflict has escalated to almost every province along the 500-mile (800km) border.
The Cambodian defense ministry reported that Friday’s strikes occurred in the north-western province of Banteay Meanchey. They claimed that F-16 fighter jets dropped as many as 40 bombs, as stated in a Facebook update.
Thailand asserted that the operation targeted control over Nong Chan village and was executed “efficiently and successfully”.
This took place while Thai and Cambodian negotiators engaged in their third day of discussions at a border checkpoint. Defense ministers from both nations are expected to participate in the talks on Saturday.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed hope on Friday that a ceasefire agreement could be finalized once both parties reached a consensus on each other’s terms.
“I hope this will be the last time we sign, allowing peace to return to the region,” he remarked, “[and] enabling people to go back to their homes.”
The US and China have also been making efforts to mediate a fresh ceasefire.
The longstanding dispute between Thailand and Cambodia stretches back over a century, witnessing intermittent clashes that have resulted in casualties among both military personnel and civilians throughout the years.
However, tensions heightened in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed during a skirmish. The situation worsened on July 24 when a Cambodian rocket attack targeted Thailand, leading to retaliatory Thai air assaults. This initiated five days of severe fighting, claiming numerous lives among soldiers and civilians.
