Thai and Cambodian Troops Fire at Each Other as Relations Implode
Shots were heard at 8.20 a.m. and came from an area about 650 feet east of Prasat Ta Muen Thom, an ancient Khmer-Hindu temple along the disputed border, according to the Thai army. Earlier, Thai soldiers had heard the sound of a drone and saw six armed Cambodian soldiers, the army added. Cambodian officials did not immediately respond to questions from The New York Times. There were no casualties reported.
The Thai army returned fire with a field cannon, according to Channel 3 News, a Thai news website. Officials from Cambodia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This is a developing story.
Kittiphum Sringammuang and Sun Narin contributed reporting.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
5 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Thai Lawmakers Pass $117 Billion Budget to Help Revive Economy
Thailand's lower house of parliament passed a 3.78 trillion baht ($117 billion) annual budget, needed to support a fragile economy that's at risk from issues ranging from the impact of higher US tariffs to a downturn in tourism. The budget bill for the year starting Oct. 1 was backed by 257 lawmakers in the 500-member House of Representatives late Friday, following a three-day debate. A total of 229 members opposed the spending plan.
Newsweek
11 hours ago
- Newsweek
One Trump Ceasefire is Already Starting to Fray
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Pointing towards roughly-built houses cut off behind coils of shiny new razor wire, weeping Cambodian villagers complained that Thai soldiers had evicted them from front line homes despite a ceasefire agreed under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. One Thai official described the claim as "fake news". Thailand meanwhile alleges that its soldiers have been wounded by newly-placed land mines. The allegations by both Southeast Asian countries are putting strain on a ceasefire for which Cambodia — its army heavily outgunned by Thailand's much larger and better equipped forces — has become the latest country to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. "We want to show the international community how the Thai government violated the ceasefire by putting the barbed wire and pushing the people back from the border," Banthey Meanchey Province Governor Oum Reatrey told Newsweek during a media visit to the front line set up by the authorities. "We never planted new mines and we never violated the ceasefire agreement and we want to keep the area calm here," he said at the Prey Chan commune. Newsweek sought comment from the Thai Army and the U.S. State Department. Why It Matters If the ceasefire falls apart, it could lead to a resumption of fighting in which dozens of people have already been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced across the two countries. It would also be a blow for Trump's peacemaking credentials as he also seeks to bring about an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine and to secure peace in the Middle East amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas and other Iranian proxy forces as well as its confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program. Cambodian soldier surveys barbed wire alledgly placed by Thai soldiers that cuts Cambodian villagers from their homes at Prey Chan, Cambodia on August 15, 2025. Cambodian soldier surveys barbed wire alledgly placed by Thai soldiers that cuts Cambodian villagers from their homes at Prey Chan, Cambodia on August 15, 2025. Matthew Tostevin What To Know Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia erupted over five days in late July after months of rising tensions over a border dispute dating from the colonial era in a remote region of rice farms and ancient Khmer-Hindu era temples. The skirmishes ended after Trump called both sides and used tariffs to pressure them to stop. Cambodians say that the Thai soldiers forced dozens of Cambodian residents from their homes in two locations on August 13 and erected barbed wire despite the ceasefire that stopped fighting on July 28 and a more detailed subsequent agreement. Five-year-old Cambodian Mesa waits with her grandmother on August 15, 2025 at Prey Chan after the family said they were evicted from their homes by Thai soldiers despite a ceasefire. Five-year-old Cambodian Mesa waits with her grandmother on August 15, 2025 at Prey Chan after the family said they were evicted from their homes by Thai soldiers despite a ceasefire. Matthew Tostevin "The Thai soldiers just told me to get out of the house and I said I need to take my belongings but they forced me out and put the barbed wire," wept Hul Malis, a 52-year-old woman at Prey Chan. "Right now I just want to go back to my house and get back what I had before." Thailand has rejected the accusations of violating the ceasefire over the placement of barbed wire. In its turn, it said it was protesting against what it alleged was the Cambodian use of land mines which had wounded soldiers on August 9 and 12. Its foreign ministry alleged in a statement that this: "reflects Cambodia's lack of good faith and contravenes the ceasefire agreement finalized by both sides." What People Are Saying Cambodian State Secretariat of Border Affairs: "The Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary - JBC (Cambodian side) would like to reiterate its protest against the Thai military's encroachment activities and demand the Thai side to immediately cease and remove the barbed wire, nets, barricade, and vehicle tires, and to take any appropriate measures to prevent further violations of similar nature along the border between the two countries." Royal Thai Army: "The Royal Thai Army calls upon Cambodia to respect the ceasefire agreement, fully comply with the 13-point agreement, and strictly adhere to the principles of international law. Throughout this period, it has been found that the Cambodian side has been continuously committing violations. What Happens Next In addition to the accusations of ceasefire violations and military buildups on both sides, rumors of potential Thai attacks have repeatedly set people fleeing on the Cambodian side. Even if there is no further open clash, the situation is likely to remain tense before confidence can be rebuilt.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Factbox-South Korea to restore pact curbing military activity on North Korean border
(Reuters) -South Korea intends to restore an agreement to suspend some military activity along the border with North Korea, President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday, as his government seeks to improve relations between neighbours still technically at war. The 2018 military accord was designed to curb the risk of inadvertent clashes, but broke down after a spike in tensions. WHAT HAPPENED IN 2018? The so-called Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) signed between the two Koreas was the most substantive deal to result from months of historic meetings between leader Kim Jong Un and then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in. On September 19, 2018, South Korea's defence minister and his North Korean counterpart signed the CMA in the North's capital, Pyongyang, accompanied by polite applause from the onlooking leaders. Under the CMA, both countries agreed to "completely cease all hostile acts against each other" and implement military confidence-building measures in air, land and sea domains. The measures included the two sides ending military drills near the border, banning live-fire exercises in certain areas, the imposition of no-fly zones, the removal of some guard posts along the Demilitarized Zone, and maintaining hotlines. On the ground, both sides agreed to completely cease artillery drills and field training within 5 km (3 miles) of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) between the countries. At sea, they installed covers on the barrels of naval guns and coastal artillery and closed gun ports in a buffer zone along the sea border. MILITARY DEAL FALLS APART With inter-Korean and denuclearisation talks long stalled, the military accord started to fracture in recent years amid drills and shows of force along the fortified border between the Koreas as they accused the other of breaches. North Korea's launch of a spy satellite in 2023 further ratcheted up tensions on the Korean peninsula, and the countries walked away from the confidence-building pact. South Korea's National Security Council that year moved to "suspend the effect of Article 1, Clause 3" establishing no-fly zones close to the border in the 2018 military agreement, enabling Seoul to restore reconnaissance and surveillance activities along the border. South Korea's military then restarted aerial surveillance in border areas, the defence ministry said. North Korea in return said its army would "never be bound" by the pact, ripping up the agreement and vowing to restore all military measures it had halted under the deal. In June 2024, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a complete suspension of the military pact in response to North Korea's move to send hundreds of rubbish-stuffed balloons across the border. Later that year, as hostilities increased state-run news agency KCNA said North Korea amended its constitution to designate the South as a "hostile state". HOW WILL PYONGYANG RESPOND? President Lee, who won a snap election in June, has sought to re-engage Pyongyang after a period of cross-border tension and shown a willingness to return to dialogue. He touted on Friday his government's efforts to ease tensions, including halting the launch of balloons floated by activists with anti-North Korea leaflets and dismantling loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts across the border. How Pyongyang might respond remains unclear. Top North Korean officials have in recent weeks dismissed moves taken by Lee's new liberal government to ease tensions. Some analysts are also sceptical about the short-term prospects of a favourable response from North Korea to such overtures. Solve the daily Crossword
