Cambodia accuses Thailand of launching strikes during border peace talks
By The Guardian, December 26, 2025Cambodia has accused Thailand of intensifying its bombardment of disputed border areas, even as officials from the two countries attend a multi-day meeting aimed at negotiating an end to deadly clashes.
The neighbours’ longstanding border conflict reignited this month, shattering an earlier truce and killing more than 40 people, according to official counts. About a million people have also been displaced.
Cambodian and Thai officials were in their third day of talks at a border checkpoint on with defence ministers from both countries scheduled to meet on Saturday, December 27, 2025.
However, Cambodia’s defence ministry said Thailand’s military carried out a heavy bombardment of disputed border areas in Banteay Meanchey province on Friday morning.
“From 6.08 am to 7.15 am, the Thai military deployed F-16 fighter jets to drop as many as 40 bombs, to intensify its bombardment in the area of Chok Chey village,” it said in a statement.
Thai media said on Friday, December 26, 2025, that Cambodian forces had launched heavy attacks overnight along the border in Sa Kaeo province, where several homes were damaged by shelling.
The two countries blame each other for instigating the fresh fighting, which has spread to nearly every province along their border.
Both countries also claim to have acted in self-defence and accuse the other of attacking civilians.
The US, China and Malaysia brokered a truce to end five days of deadly clashes in July, but the ceasefire was short-lived.
The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800km (500-mile) border and a smattering of ancient temple ruins situated on the frontier.
Each side has blamed the other for instigating the renewed fighting, claiming self-defence, while trading accusations of attacks on civilians.
On Thursday, December 25, 2025, the US expressed concern about the outburst of violence and offered to mediate new talks.
In a call with Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio “reiterated President [Donald] Trump’s desire for peace and the need to fully implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords,” according to a media release by the US State Department.
Russia has also encouraged the two sides to end the dispute diplomatically.