Thailand-Cambodia relations, which had just calmed down, were again tense when Thailand allegedly launched an airstrike on Cambodia early this morning, following new clashes that broke out in the border area of the two countries.
The incident thus undermined the peace plan chaired by United States President (US), Donald Trump two months ago.
According to a Thai military official, the airstrike was a response to the Cambodian attack that resulted in one Thai soldier being killed and two others being injured.
The Thai military announced that Cambodian forces opened fire towards the Thai border at around 3 am local time.
However, the Cambodian military denied the allegations and instead accused Thailand of launching an attack on their forces at around 5:04 am.
Meanwhile, Thai authorities announced that around 70% of the civilian population in border towns had been evacuated to avoid security risks.
Thailand and Cambodia were previously involved in a five-day border conflict in July that killed dozens of people and forced the displacement of around 200,000 people on both sides of the border.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in Kuala Lumpur in late October at a ceremony witnessed by Trump and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
However, less than two weeks after the agreement was signed, relations between the two countries are showing signs of fraying again.
The Thai government later announced that it would halt any progress on the agreement after a landmine explosion in the border area injured several of its personnel.
