Royal Cambodian Armed Forces

Cambodia’s military is fighting a stronger neighbour while highlighting civilian harm to win diplomatic backing. - Responding with artillery, rockets and drones while absorbing Thai air and artillery strikes

A new ceasefire signed on December 27 has brought an uneasy pause to three weeks of fighting that killed more than 100 people and sent over half a million fleeing from their homes. Thai airstrikes, Cambodian rocket barrages and artillery duels scorched the 817‑kilometer frontier after combat reignited on December 8, shattering Trump‑brokered peace deals from July and October. The December war proved deadlier and more disruptive than July's four‑day clash, with Thai jets hitting deeper into Cambodia and both sides digging in along multiple fronts.

Updated Jan 8

Cambodia’s military maintains positions in disputed border zones and has engaged in exchanges of fire with Thai forces while managing evacuations in provinces like Oddar Meanchey. - Deployed along the disputed border; accused of mine use and rocket fire, which it denies

In 2025, a long-simmering territorial dispute along the 817 km Thailand–Cambodia border reignited into the region’s most serious interstate conflict in years. A fatal clash on May 28 that killed a Cambodian soldier in a disputed area near Preah Vihear was followed by landmine incidents and escalating skirmishes, culminating in a five-day war in July that killed at least 48 people and displaced about 300,000 civilians before a ceasefire was brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim mediating under ASEAN’s umbrella.

Updated Dec 11, 2025