On 24 July 2025, serious fighting between Cambodian and Thai troops erupted along the border between the two countries.
Parts of the territory in the region have been disputed for many years. In 1962, the disputed Preah Vihear Temple was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice.
Tensions increased in February 2025, when Thai soldiers prevented Cambodian tourists from singing the Cambodian national anthem at the disputed Prasat Ta Moan Thom temple.
In May, a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish, and in June, border checkpoints were closed and Cambodia stopped importing fuel and gas from Thailand.
In July, Thai soldiers were injured by landmines, which Thailand claimed had been laid recently by the Cambodian army.
On 24 July, hostilities intensified. Thai F-16 aircraft carried out an airstrike on Cambodian positions and Cambodia fired artillery rounds into Thai territory, allegedly causing civilian casualties in three provinces.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been downgraded, and the border sealed. Cambodia has called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene.