Thai F-16 Airstrikes on Cambodia Spark Border Panic | WPN World People News

A ceasefire agreement that had been in effect for less than two months has collapsed as Thailand and Cambodia once again clash along their shared border. Thailand deployed F-16 fighter jets to strike Cambodian military bases, leaving four Cambodian civilians and one Thai soldier dead, with several others injured. The Thai government has ordered the urgent evacuation of roughly 400,000 residents in border areas, while more than 600 schools and multiple hospitals have been temporarily closed. The escalation threatens the ceasefire deal brokered in October by U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The confrontation began on the afternoon of the 7th. Thailand accused Cambodian forces of firing first on Thai soldiers repairing a road inside Thai territory, prompting return fire. Early the next morning, Cambodian troops again opened fire on several locations in Ubon Ratchathani Province, killing one Thai soldier and injuring four. Cambodia, however, countered that Thai forces had launched pre-dawn attacks on positions in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey Provinces. Thailand later dispatched F-16 jets to conduct precision strikes on Cambodian targets, insisting the attacks were limited to military facilities and aimed at “crippling Cambodia’s military capability” to ensure Thailand’s long-term security.

The fighting has triggered panic across border communities, with residents fleeing en masse. Streets have emptied as civilians seek refuge in warehouses, tunnels, and makeshift bomb shelters. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar urged both sides to halt fire immediately and resolve their disputes through diplomacy, but Thai Prime Minister Anutin reiterated that Thailand would not tolerate violations of its sovereignty and rejected calls for restraint. The century-old border dispute, now flaring again just weeks after the ceasefire took effect, has cast a dark shadow over regional peace.