Kuala lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged Thailand and Cambodia to exercise maximum restraint, maintain open channels of communication and make full use of the mechanisms in place following reports of armed clashes along their common border. In a Facebook post, Anwar said he was deeply concerned by the reports and offered his condolences to the families of those killed or injured.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Prime Minister stated that Malaysia stood ready to support steps which could help restore calm and avert further incidents. He emphasized that Thailand and Cambodia were close partners of Malaysia and key members of ASEAN. "The renewed fighting risks unravelling the careful work that has gone into stabilizing relations between the two neighbours," Anwar expressed today.

Anwar further highlighted the critical need for the region to avoid letting long-standing disputes escalate into cycles of confrontation. He stressed that the immediate priority is to halt the fighting, safeguard civilians, and return to a diplomatic path supported by international law and the neighbourly spirit on which ASEAN depends.

Earlier, international media reported that Thailand had launched air strikes along its disputed border with Cambodia. The fresh clashes resulted in the death of at least one Thai soldier, with four others wounded in the incidents that erupted around two areas in the easternmost province of Ubon Ratchathani.