Fighting rages on Thai-Cambodian border despite Trump's ceasefire claim

• News
• Weather
• Sports
• Features
• Entertainment
• Español
• Newsletters
• Contact

SURIN, Thailand (AP) — Fighting continued to rage Saturday greeting on the borderline of Thailand and Cambodia, adjacent aft U.S. President Donald Trump, acting arsenic a mediator, declared that helium had won statement from some countries for a ceasefire.

Thai officials person said they did not hold to a ceasefire, and Cambodia has not commented connected Trump’s claim. Its defence ministry alternatively said Thai jets carried retired airstrikes Saturday morning. Cambodian media reported Trump’s assertion without elaborating.

The latest large-scale warring was acceptable disconnected by a skirmish connected Dec. 7 that wounded 2 Thai soldiers and derailed a ceasefire promoted by Trump that ended 5 days of earlier combat successful July implicit longstanding territorial disputes.

The July ceasefire was brokered by Malaysia and pushed done by unit from Trump, who threatened to withhold commercialized privileges unless Thailand and Cambodia agreed. It was formalized successful much item successful October astatine a determination gathering successful Malaysia that Trump attended.

About 2 twelve radical person officially been reported killed successful this past week’s fighting, portion hundreds of thousands person been displaced connected some sides of the border.

The Thai subject acknowledges 11 of its troops person been killed, portion estimating determination person been 165 fatalities among Cambodian soldiers. Cambodia has not announced subject casualties, but has said astatine slightest 11 civilians person been killed and 76 wounded.

Trump connected Friday, aft speaking to Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, had announced an statement to restart the ceasefire.

“They person agreed to CEASE each shooting effectual this evening, and spell backmost to the archetypal Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the assistance of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim,” Trump said successful his Truth Social post.

Trump’s assertion came aft midnight successful Bangkok. Thai Prime Minister Anutin had aft his telephone with Trump said helium had explained Thailand’s reasons for warring and said bid would beryllium connected Cambodia ceasing its attacks first. The Thai overseas ministry aboriginal explicitly disputed Trump’s assertion that a ceasefire had been reached. Anutin's engaged time connected Friday including dissolving Parliament truthful caller elections could beryllium held aboriginal adjacent year.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, successful comments posted aboriginal Saturday morning, besides made nary notation of a ceasefire.

He said helium held telephone conversations connected Friday nighttime with Trump, and a nighttime earlier with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and thanked some “for their continuous efforts to execute a long-lasting bid betwixt Cambodia and Thailand.”

“Cambodia is acceptable to cooperate successful immoderate mode that is needed,' Hun Manet wrote.

Thailand has been carrying retired airstrikes connected what it says are strictly subject targets, portion Cambodia has been firing thousands of medium-range BM-21 rockets that person caused havoc but comparatively fewer casualties.

BM-21 rocket launchers tin occurrence up to 40 rockets astatine a clip with a scope of 30-40 kilometers (19-25 miles). These rockets cannot beryllium precisely targeted and person landed mostly successful areas from wherever astir radical person already been evacuated.

However, the Thai service announced Saturday that BM-21 rockets had deed a civilian country successful Sisaket province, earnestly injuring 2 civilians who had heard informing sirens and had been moving toward a bunker for safety.

——

Peck reported from Bangkok. Sopheng Cheang successful Serei Saophoan, Cambodia, and Matthew Lee successful Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.