Thailand’s military reported a clash with Cambodian forces at their shared border yesterday, alleging that Cambodia breached a truce agreed upon in December. According to a statement by the Thai army, Cambodian troops fired a single 40 mm grenade round near a Thai patrol in the province of Sisaket, prompting a retaliatory response. The Thai army confirmed that no Thai personnel were harmed during the exchange.
In response to the incident, Thai forces retaliated by firing an M79 grenade launcher towards the source of the initial shot as a warning and for self-defense, following established rules of engagement. The army spokesperson, Winthai Suvaree, stated that Cambodia’s actions violated the ceasefire agreement reached after three weeks of deadly border clashes in late December.
The Thai army’s preliminary evaluation suggested that the clash might have occurred due to the rotation of Cambodian troops, with new personnel potentially lacking familiarity with regulations and command control, resulting in operational deficiencies.
Contrary to the allegations, Cambodia denied firing on Thai troops patrolling the border, as stated by Phnom Penh’s information minister, Neth Pheaktra, who described the claims as false and intentionally misleading.
The longstanding border conflict between the two countries originates from a disagreement over the French colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometer frontier. Despite the truce agreed upon in December, recent incidents have strained relations, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of truce violations and Cambodia claiming that Thai forces occupied areas in border provinces, demanding their withdrawal.
Thailand justified its actions by asserting that it was reclaiming land historically part of Thailand that had been occupied by Cambodians for an extended period. While the two nations halted fighting in December, the underlying border conflict remains unresolved, necessitating further dialogue and cooperation to address the century-old dispute.
