The protracted border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand has escalated dramatically, with Cambodian authorities reporting a sharp increase in civilian casualties. Defense Ministry officials confirmed the death toll has reached 19 civilians, including an infant, with 79 others sustaining injuries as of December 20, 2025.
The conflict, which reignited on December 7 after a period of relative calm, has now entered its fifteenth consecutive day of hostilities. Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, Undersecretary of State and Defense Ministry Spokesperson, provided the updated casualty figures during a press briefing in Phnom Penh, highlighting the devastating human cost of the renewed fighting.
According to documentation from Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, the violence has triggered a massive humanitarian crisis, displacing approximately 510,000 residents from border communities. These individuals have been forced to abandon their homes and seek refuge in emergency shelters as aerial bombardments and ground operations continue along the contested frontier.
Visual evidence from the Agence Kampuchea Press reveals the extensive damage inflicted on civilian infrastructure, including images of a devastated automotive garage in Poipet town, Banteay Meanchey province, following reported Thai airstrikes. The photographic documentation underscores the conflict’s impact on non-combatants and economic facilities far from the immediate border zone.
The prolonged engagement represents the most significant escalation between the Southeast Asian neighbors in recent years, with both sides reporting military casualties alongside the growing civilian toll. International observers express increasing concern about the potential for further regional destabilization as diplomatic efforts to mediate a ceasefire continue.