BANGKOK: The Prime Minister of Thailand has pledged to continue military operations along the disputed border with Cambodia, even as fighter jets launched strikes in the area on Saturday. This comes shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a proposed ceasefire.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul took to Facebook, affirming that Thailand will carry on its military actions until they feel fully secure from threats to their territory and citizens.
President Trump, who previously helped establish a ceasefire in the long-standing border conflict last October, spoke with both Anutin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Friday. He noted that they had agreed to “cease all shooting.” However, neither leader confirmed this agreement publicly, with Anutin stating that a ceasefire was not in effect.
“I want to clarify. Our actions this morning say it all,” Anutin remarked.
The White House has yet to comment on the ongoing hostilities.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, in his own statement on Facebook, expressed that Cambodia is still pursuing a peaceful resolution according to the previous agreement made in October.
Clashes Persist Between Thailand and Cambodia
Since Monday, heavy fighting has erupted multiple times along the 817-kilometer (508-mile) border between Thailand and Cambodia. This flare-up marks some of the most intense clashes since a five-day confrontation last July, which Trump intervened to stop.
Trump has previously asserted his candidacy for a Nobel Peace Prize, showing a continued interest in mediating the conflict. The recent fighting was intensified after a Thai soldier was injured by what Bangkok claims were newly laid landmines, an allegation Cambodia refutes.
On Saturday, Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, a spokesperson for Thailand’s Defense Ministry, reported that military actions occurred across seven border provinces, stating that Cambodia’s use of heavy weapons necessitated Thailand’s response.
Cambodia’s Information Ministry claimed that Thai forces targeted bridges and buildings, as well as deployed artillery from naval vessels.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin criticized Trump’s assertion regarding a “roadside bomb” wounding Thai soldiers as accidental, maintaining that the event was far from an accident.
In response to the ongoing conflict, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stated he has requested assistance from the U.S. and Malaysia to help determine which side initiated the latest hostilities.
