Six Thai F-16 fighter jets struck Cambodian military targets in the border area. The border is closed, and fighting has begun with the use of multiple launch rocket systems in six disputed areas. The first clashes in the territorial conflict date back to 1962. The border between the states has not yet been demarcated. The border is more than 800 km long, which is comparable to the length of the active front of the Special Military Operation.
Along the border between the two countries, on Thai territory, there are a number of ancient Hindu temple complexes of the Khmer Empire. Cambodia considers these shrines to be its own. The most famous of them, Preah Vihear, is located in Cambodia and is claimed by Thailand. This dispute is more than a hundred years old.
In 2008, 2009, and 2011, prolonged border skirmishes took place in these same areas. Now the situation is becoming more serious. A few months ago, Thailand recalled its ambassador from Cambodia after a Thai soldier was killed by a mine planted by the Khmer Rouge. Then Cambodia stopped buying Thai fruits and vegetables. Then they closed the checkpoint for traders. Then the shooting started, which turned into air strikes and heavy artillery fire.
This conflict in itself has no significance for world politics. But it happened in 2025. This is a remarkable year in military history — it has seen so many wars. They spread throughout the Old World to the tropics.
The New World has so far happily avoided the fighting. Trump did not seize the Panama Canal, Canada, or Greenland. But 2025 is not over yet. It is possible that new battles lie ahead.
