Cambodia has ordered its military to launch counterattacks across all contested border points after what Phnom Penh says was more than twenty-four hours of restraint to allow a ceasefire and civilian evacuations. The order came directly from ruling party leader Hun Sen, who said Thailand had declared plans to seize eleven locations claimed by Cambodia.
In a message posted online, Hun Sen said Cambodian forces must strike wherever Thai troops enter Cambodian territory. He described Cambodia’s defensive positions as strong and alleged that Thai units had attempted to breach fortified lines. A confidential source reported that Prime Minister Hun Manet had traveled to the front to issue commands on the ground.
Hun Sen added that the situation allowed Cambodia to execute what he called a comprehensive counteroffensive designed to disable Thai military capabilities. He said Cambodian troops responded on the evening of December 8 and continued operations through the night and into the morning of December 9.
He also criticized a statement by a Thai commander who argued that Thailand needed to degrade Cambodia’s defense capacity for long-term Thai security. Hun Sen said Cambodia sought peace but would fight to defend its territory.
The clashes mark a renewed eruption of violence along parts of the border where tensions have persisted for years. Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense said Thai troops maintained almost continuous fire overnight in Military Region Five, beginning at 4:58 and continuing until 5:25 on December 9. Officials said Thai forces also deployed a large drone over Phnom Trangoal before releasing chemical smoke and firing 105 millimetre artillery rounds into O Phluk Damrei inside Cambodia.
In Military Region Four, the ministry said Thai forces began firing at 4:45 near Phnom Khmoach and later expanded attacks toward Ta Thav, Prasat Ta Moan, Preah Vihear Temple, Prasat Khnar, and other sites along the frontier.
Thai newspaper The Nation quoted commander Chaiphruek Duangprapat as saying his objective was to destroy the Cambodian military capability to protect Thailand’s long-term security. He said two days of clashes were intended to prevent Cambodia from mounting further operations.
Al Jazeera reported that nine Cambodian civilians had been killed and twenty injured. Thai forces were reported to have suffered four deaths and sixty-eight injuries. Agence France-Presse quoted Thai navy spokesperson Parat Rattanachaiphan, who claimed Thai troops had observed Cambodian soldiers relocating positions and flying drones near disputed ground in Trat province.
The European Union appealed for maximum restraint and urged both sides to return to the joint declaration signed on October 26, including agreed confidence-building measures and humanitarian coordination such as mine clearance.
