BANGKOK: Thailand accused Cambodia on Wednesday (Jul 30) of a “flagrant violation” of their truce deal to end cross-border fighting, saying Cambodian troops launched an overnight attack on the frontier.
The nations agreed to a ceasefire starting Tuesday after five days of clashes killed at least 43 on both sides, as a long-standing dispute over contested border temples boiled over into open combat on their 800km frontier.
But Thailand’s foreign ministry said its troops in Sisaket province “came under attack by small arms fire and grenade assaults launched by Cambodian forces” in an offensive which continued until Wednesday morning.
“This represents a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement,” said a foreign ministry statement.
Thai government spokesman Jirayu Huangsab also reported overnight clashes but said in a statement “the Thai side maintained control of the situation” and “general conditions along the border are reported to be normal” from 8am local time.
Cambodia has previously denied breaking the truce, designed to end fighting which has seen the two countries evacuate a total of more than 300,000 people from the border region.
An AFP journalist on the Cambodian side who heard a steady drumbeat of artillery fire since fighting began last Thursday reported hearing no blasts between the start of the truce and Wednesday morning.
A spokesperson from the Thai military said on Tuesday its army had met with Cambodian counterparts.
Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said “there is no escalation” on Tuesday, with Cambodia’s defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata also saying that there had been “no armed clashes against each other in any regions”.
