Cambodia and Thailand accused each other after renewed border gunfire, with Phnom Penh reporting one civilian killed and three wounded while Thailand said it suffered no casualties. The flare-up followed Bangkok's suspension of parts of a US-backed follow-up deal after a reported landmine blast injured four Thai soldiers. July's five-day fighting had killed 43 people and displaced about 300,000 before a truce mediated by international officials. Recent incidents and withheld prisoner releases now threaten the agreement's future.
Renewed Clashes on Thailand–Cambodia Border Kill Civilian, Undermine US-Backed Truce
Cambodia and Thailand accused each other after renewed border gunfire, with Phnom Penh reporting one civilian killed and three wounded while Thailand said it suffered no casualties. The flare-up followed Bangkok's suspension of parts of a US-backed follow-up deal after a reported landmine blast injured four Thai soldiers. July's five-day fighting had killed 43 people and displaced about 300,000 before a truce mediated by international officials. Recent incidents and withheld prisoner releases now threaten the agreement's future.
09:58 PM, 11/12/2025Conflict
Renewed gunfire along Thailand–Cambodia border leaves civilian dead
Cambodia and Thailand traded accusations on Wednesday after gunfire erupted along their shared border. Phnom Penh said one civilian was shot dead and three others were wounded in the latest incident, which came after Bangkok paused implementation of parts of a US-backed follow-up agreement. Thailand said Cambodian forces fired into Thai territory and that Thai troops returned warning shots; no Thai casualties were reported.
What happened
Officials reported exchanges near the boundary between Thailand's Sa Kaeo province and Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province. Cambodia's information ministry released photos and video it said showed wounded civilians, including a man being treated in an ambulance with a bleeding leg; AFP reported it was unable to independently verify those images.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said the violence 'goes against the humanitarian spirit and recent agreements to resolve border issues peacefully' in a Facebook post.
Royal Thai Army spokesman Winthai Suvaree said Thai soldiers 'took cover and fired warning shots in response' and described the exchange as lasting about 10 minutes. Local villagers on the Cambodian side told reporters that sudden gunfire sparked panic and movement of civilians away from the border.
Background and wider context
The dispute dates to maps drawn during French colonial rule and centers on contested border temples and tracts of land. In July, five days of heavy fighting involving fighter jets, missile strikes and ground forces killed 43 people and displaced roughly 300,000 before a truce took effect on July 29 after international intervention. The truce and a subsequent joint declaration — brokered with involvement from US President Donald Trump, Chinese diplomats and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (ASEAN chair) — committed both sides to withdraw heavy weapons and allow ceasefire monitors access to the frontier.
Thailand announced on Monday it was pausing implementation of a follow-up agreement after a blast from a newly laid landmine reportedly wounded four Thai soldiers. That announcement, together with Thailand's delay in releasing 18 captured Cambodian soldiers (a key element of the joint declaration), has raised doubts about the pact's durability.
Implications
The fresh clashes underscore that, while recent agreements have reduced large-scale fighting, they have not resolved the underlying territorial dispute. Continued incidents, withheld prisoner releases and accusations from both sides increase the risk of renewed escalation and prolong the humanitarian impact on border populations.
Reporting note: Some claims and images related to the incident have not been independently verified by international agencies.