Cambodia accuses Thai military of breaching international law by firing cluster munitions on troops

An official spokesperson for the Cambodian government has accused the Thai military of using cluster munitions, which are prohibited by international law.

Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, a Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence, revealed that this method was used by the Thai army on July 25, 2025, in attacks on 7 locations, Caliber.Az reports citing Khmer Times.

She has informed the public that the Thai side began attacking Cambodian troops at 8:46 a.m. local time on July 24, reporting that "Thai invaders" made use of heavy weapons and F-16 aircraft to drop bombs on Cambodian territory.

The Cambodian official stated that the government considered this act to be a war crime, a long-term threat to civilians, the environment, a war crime under international law, and a threat to regional peace and security.

“This act of aggression, both brutal and inhumane, violated international law, including the Convention on Cluster Munitions,” the lieutenant general said.

In her press statement regarding the Thai military attacks on Cambodia on the morning of July 25, the use of such weapons is not only indicative of "the cruelty and inhumanity of Thailand’s aggression, but also reflects that Thailand has no respect for international humanitarian law and the most basic norms that govern Thai civilised behaviour.”

Diplomatic relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly in recent days and mark the most serious flare-up in a long-running territorial dispute rooted in colonial-era border demarcations. Earlier this week, Thailand recalled its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelled the Cambodian envoy after a Thai soldier was severely injured by a landmine explosion, which Bangkok attributes to Cambodian forces, which the latter denies.

This latest conflict follows earlier incidents this year, including a clash that broke out between Thai and Cambodian forces, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier on May 28, related to an unresolved dispute over control of certain areas along the Thailand-Cambodia-Laos border. The current escalation has also sparked political fallout within Thailand. The Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in early July, pending an ethics review tied to a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian official.

By Nazrin Sadigova