ALBAWABA- The death toll from renewed fighting along the disputed Thailand–Cambodia border has risen to at least 96, as hostilities entered their 18th day, underscoring one of the deadliest escalations between the two Southeast Asian neighbors in more than a decade.
Thai authorities said 23 soldiers and one civilian have been killed on their side, while a further 41 civilian deaths were attributed to collateral damage from shelling and airstrikes.
Cambodian officials reported at least 21 soldiers killed, with overall casualty figures believed to be higher as fighting continues. Nearly one million civilians have been displaced, according to humanitarian agencies, as artillery exchanges and air raids intensify in contested areas near the Preah Vihear temple.
The clashes, which erupted on December 8, have involved heavy weapons, including artillery and air power, with both sides accusing each other of initiating attacks and violating previous ceasefire arrangements.
Military delegations from Thailand and Cambodia began talks on December 24 in an effort to restore a ceasefire, though negotiations remain fragile amid ongoing exchanges of fire.
The conflict stems from a longstanding territorial dispute surrounding the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple. While the International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty over the temple to Cambodia in 1962, Thailand continues to contest the surrounding border areas.
Although tensions eased after clashes in 2011, they resurfaced in July 2025, when a Thai patrol triggered a landmine in the disputed zone, killing several soldiers and reigniting nationalist sentiment on both sides.
A U.S.-brokered ceasefire, signed on October 26, 2025, during the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, had briefly halted hostilities under the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord.
The agreement, mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump with support from Malaysia and China, called for troop withdrawals and joint patrols. Its collapse in early December has since highlighted the fragility of regional security arrangements and the deep-rooted nature of the dispute.
