💥 Thai Invasion Day 2: Cambodia Fires Back as Death Toll Rises

The conventional war between Thailand and Cambodia intensified on Day 2, Tuesday, December 9, 2025, as Cambodian forces began to actively counterattack the Thai mechanized invasion force. The fighting has spread along the contested frontier, leading to a sharp rise in military and civilian casualties and further straining the capacity of both nations to manage the ensuing humanitarian crisis.
Cambodia’s Counter-Offensive
After initially restraining retaliation, Senate President Hun Sen confirmed that the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) began firing back overnight and on Tuesday morning. He stated that Cambodia was “compelled to counterattack to defend our territory” after being patient for over 24 hours to evacuate civilians. This marked the official start of heavy, direct engagements between ground forces.
Key developments on Day 2 include:
* Spreading Conflict: Clashes spread beyond the initial invasion axis in the southwestern sector. Fighting was reported along multiple border locations, involving up to six of the seven provinces bordering Cambodia, including the Chong An Ma area in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province.
* Heavy Exchange of Fire: Thailand’s military reported that Cambodia was attacking Thai positions using heavy weapons, including artillery, rocket launchers, and bomb-dropping drones. Thai forces continued to use their superior air support and long-range artillery against the counter-attacking Cambodian units.
* Continued Penetration: Despite the Cambodian counterattack, Thai forces maintained their advance, utilizing the earlier breakthrough to consolidate positions captured on Day 1.
Rising Casualties and Civilian Flight
Casualty figures reported by both sides confirmed the growing intensity and lethality of the fighting:
* Civilian Toll: Cambodia’s Information Ministry reported a total of seven civilians killed and 20 wounded since the renewed clashes began on Sunday. Two of those civilians were reportedly killed while fleeing the Thai shelling near National Road 56 in Banteay Meanchey Province.
* Military Losses: The Thai military reported that the death toll for its soldiers rose to three killed, with eight soldiers wounded.
The escalation of shelling into civilian areas has exacerbated the humanitarian disaster.
* Massive Displacement: The number of displaced people soared. In Thailand, over 125,000 people are now in temporary evacuation shelters across four provinces. In Cambodia, the number of displaced civilians has surpassed 21,000.
* Education Disruption: The number of students uprooted from their classrooms due to closures across five Cambodian border provinces jumped dramatically to nearly 130,000, according to Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, as Thai 105mm and 155mm artillery rounds landed dangerously close to schools.
Vows to Continue Fighting
In a clear sign that the conflict will not end soon, leaders on both sides remained defiant:
* Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul stated, “We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do,” asserting that Cambodia had not contacted Thailand for negotiations and that military operations would continue “until attacks stop.”
* Cambodia’s Hun Sen vowed that his country would not back down, stating, “Cambodia is forced to fight back to defend its territory,” and claimed his country possessed “strong bunkers and weapons” that would give it an advantage in the close-quarters ground engagement.
The refusal by both capitals to cease military action ensures that Day 3 will likely bring further military confrontation and humanitarian consequences.