Thailand Strikes Cambodia With F-16s as Border Conflict Escalates

On Monday, Thailand escalated its ongoing border conflict with Cambodia by launching F-16 airstrikes on Cambodian targets, marking a significant increase in violence and a breakdown of a previously established cease-fire. The Thai military justified the strikes as a response to two days of clashes allegedly initiated by Cambodian forces, which resulted in one Thai soldier killed and eight wounded. In contrast, Cambodia denied initiating hostilities, claimed three civilian injuries from the Thai attacks in Oddar Meanchey province, and accused Thailand of provoking the violence [para. 1][para. 2].

The fighting, which erupted over Sunday and Monday, led to the evacuation of nearly 400,000 civilians from the Thai border provinces of Si Sa Ket, Buriram, Surin, and Ubon Ratchathani, with over 35,000 sheltering in temporary facilities. Social media videos depicted large numbers of Cambodian civilians fleeing the border by various means of transport. Thai military officials stated their goal was to weaken Cambodia's military capability to ensure long-term border stability [para. 3][para. 4].

Tensions flared after a period of relative calm since sporadic fire exchanges in early November. According to Thailand, Cambodian troops first fired on Thai soldiers protecting a road repair unit in Si Sa Ket, prompting a 20-minute firefight. Cambodian forces allegedly targeted the area to obstruct Thai demining operations. On Monday morning, the Thai military reported renewed Cambodian attacks with small arms and indirect fire near Ubon Ratchathani, leading to Thai casualties. Subsequently, Thai F-16s carried out strikes on supposed military targets inside Cambodia, including a casino used for drone operations. The Thai military insisted that these airstrikes were precise and caused no civilian harm [para. 5][para. 6][para. 7].

Cambodia rejected Thailand's narrative, accusing the Thai military of being the aggressor and violating the October cease-fire. Former Prime Minister and Senate President Hun Sen called Thailand an "invader" and encouraged Cambodian forces to prepare for counterattacks. Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense stated that Thailand used a range of weapons—including tanks, toxic gas grenades, and aircraft—against multiple targets, such as the disputed Preah Vihear temple and civilian areas. Cambodian officials accused Thailand of spreading misleading information to justify renewed conflict, claiming that Cambodia had not retaliated and was adhering to the cease-fire [para. 8][para. 9][para. 10][para. 11][para. 12].

The border has been a conflict hotspot since 2025, with a notable five-day military outbreak in July ending with a cease-fire mediated by China, the U.S., and Malaysia. Despite peace efforts, including meetings led by China's foreign minister and a joint declaration at an ASEAN summit in October, tensions persisted. Land mine incidents and a stalled negotiation process exacerbated the situation, with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul hardening his stance against further talks and emphasizing military measures [para. 13][para. 14][para. 15][para. 16][para. 17][para. 18].

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as the current ASEAN chair, called for restraint and renewed peace efforts. The conflict has severely disrupted border communities—641 Thai schools have closed temporarily, and over 350,000 people were displaced during July clashes. Cross-border trade collapsed, with monthly trade dropping from 16 billion to 1.1 million Thai baht and zero imports from Cambodia in September. In the first eight months of 2025, bilateral trade fell by 4.58% to $2.66 billion, reflecting the grave economic impact of the ongoing hostilities [para. 19][para. 20][para. 21][para. 22].