Fighting rages on Thai-Cambodian border despite Trump’s ceasefire claim
SURIN, Thailand (AP) — Clashes continued unabated along the border Saturday morning. Thailand And Cambodiaeven after US President Donald Trump, who acted as a mediator, announced that both countries had reached an agreement on a ceasefire.
While Thai officials said they did not accept the ceasefire, Cambodia did not comment on Trump’s claim. Defense ministry says Thai jets carried out the mission instead air strikes Saturday morning. Cambodian media reported Trump’s claim without detail.
The latest large-scale conflict began on Dec. 7, when two Thai soldiers were injured and derailed a Trump-instigated ceasefire that ended five days of conflict in July. long-standing land disputes.
The ceasefire in July was brokered by Malaysia and came into effect under pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless Thailand and Cambodia reached an agreement. It was formalized in more detail in October. Regional meeting in Malaysia attended by Trump.
Nearly two dozen people were officially reported dead in last week’s clashes. hundreds of thousands of people were displaced on both sides of the border.
While the Thai military acknowledged that 11 of its soldiers were killed, it estimates 165 deaths among Cambodian soldiers. The Cambodian military did not disclose casualties but reported that at least 11 civilians were killed and 76 civilians were injured.
Trump after meeting with Thai Prime Minister on Friday Anutin Charnvirakul and Prime Minister of Cambodia Manet the HunHe announced that an agreement had been reached to restart the ceasefire.
“Tonight they agreed to effectively stop all shooting and return to the original Peace Agreement with me and them, with the assistance of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia. Enver IbrahimTrump said in his Truth Social post:
Trump’s claim came after midnight in Bangkok. After his meeting with Trump, Thai Prime Minister Anutin said that he explained the reasons for Thailand’s war and that peace would depend primarily on Cambodia stopping its attacks. Thailand’s foreign ministry later publicly disputed Trump’s claim that a ceasefire had been reached. Anutin’s busy day on Friday Dissolve parliament so new elections could be held early next year.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet also did not mention the ceasefire in his comments published early Saturday morning.
He said he held phone conversations on Friday night with Trump, and a night earlier with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and thanked both “for their continuous efforts to achieve a long-lasting peace between Cambodia and Thailand.”
Hun Manet wrote, “Cambodia is ready for whatever cooperation is needed.”
Thailand launches airstrikes on what it claims are strictly military targets, while Cambodia fires medium-range BM-21 rockets; these fire medium-range BM-21 rockets; these are medium-range, but cause relatively few casualties.
BM-21 rocket launchers can fire up to 40 rockets simultaneously, with a range of 30-40 kilometers (19-25 mi). These rockets cannot be precisely targeted and largely land in areas where most people have been evacuated.
However, the Thai military announced on Saturday that BM-21 rockets hit a civilian area in Sisaket province, seriously wounding two civilians who heard warning sirens and ran towards shelter for safety.
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Peck reported from Bangkok. Serei Saophoan, Sopheng Cheang in Cambodia and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
