Fighting between Cambodia and Thailand resumed on 7 December.
At first there was only a brief exchange of small arms fire and the use of grenade launchers and mortars at one location, but the fighting intensified with the use of artillery by both sides and air strikes by the Thai air force, and the conflict spread to several locations along the border between the two countries.
The Thai army’s stated objective was to “cripple Cambodia’s military capability”, ostensibly to ensure that Thailand could be assured of defending its territory, but prompting concerns that it was seeking military superiority in order to occupy and absorb disputed areas, or even grab land from Cambodia.
Thai F16 aircraft bombed several civilian targets, including some near locations where refugees were sheltering.
On 27 December, the two countries signed another ceasefire agreement, and four days later, 18 Cambodian prisoners of war that Thailand had been holding since July were repatriated.