According to China Central Television, on the morning of July 26 local time, Thailand and Cambodia again exchanged fire in their border areas.

The Thai military stated that Cambodian soldiers fired first at Thai soldiers, and the Thai army retaliated. The Cambodian Ministry of Defense accused Thailand of launching five artillery attacks on multiple locations in Pursat Province at 5:02 a.m. on the same day.

The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia in the border area has entered its third day since the 24th. On the 25th, the Thai Navy issued a statement announcing that the border defense command of Trat and Chanthaburi provinces declared a state of emergency in some areas bordering Cambodia. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit said that the conflict has resulted in more than 20 deaths in Thailand. A spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of Defense, Maly Srechda, stated that the conflict has resulted in five Cambodian soldiers' deaths, and at least eight civilians in Oddar Meanchey province have died. More than 130,000 people in the Thai border area have been relocated, and more than 20,000 people in the Cambodian border area have evacuated.

Currently, international organizations including ASEAN are actively mediating. On Friday, the UN Security Council held an emergency closed-door meeting on the Thailand-Cambodia conflict. After the meeting, Cambodia's ambassador to the United Nations, Chhun Chak, stated that Cambodia called for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire to resolve the dispute peacefully.

Earlier on Friday, Nithipong Dejpanich, a spokesperson for the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Xinhua that Thailand still insists on resolving the dispute through bilateral dialogue. The Thai side currently still sees bilateral negotiations and dialogue as the only way to solve the problem, but the condition is that the Cambodian side must stop the fighting.

Nithipong once again accused Cambodia of instigating the conflict, while pointing out that although the bilateral relationship between Thailand and Cambodia has deteriorated, both countries still maintain embassies in each other's countries, and communication channels remain open. The Thai side hopes that the international community can urge Cambodia to cease fire and return to the negotiation table.

On the night of the 24th following the outbreak of the Thailand-Cambodia conflict, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar, as the current ASEAN rotating chair, spoke separately with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, calling for a de-escalation of the conflict.

Hun Manet said on social media on Friday that after the meeting between Anwar and Prawit, the initial response from Cambodia was that Thailand had agreed to a ceasefire, setting midnight on July 24, 2025, as the time for both sides to cease fire. However, over an hour later, Thailand notified that it had changed its position, did not agree to the ceasefire, and would continue to wait.

Nithipong responded that Thailand views the conflict with Cambodia as an issue between the two countries, not an ASEAN issue, and hopes to resolve it first through all bilateral mechanisms. However, if bilateral mechanisms do not work, "we can accept Malaysia's help to bring Thailand and Cambodia back to the bilateral negotiation table."

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Friday evening, stating that the Thai government expressed gratitude for Anwar's proposal for a ceasefire, and in principle fully agreed and was willing to consider it. The statement also pointed out that the Cambodian army has been attacking Thai territory indiscriminately over the past day, emphasizing that any ceasefire must be based on actual circumstances.

On the same day, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense accused the Thai army of using cluster bombs, which are internationally banned, to attack Cambodia, violating international humanitarian standards. Colonel Wanta Sothear, a spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, responded that Thailand only used cluster munitions against military targets. Wanta also stated that Thailand has not signed the Cluster Munition Convention, so it is not bound by the convention.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7531207522733015595/

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