Thailand carried out air strikes on Cambodia on Monday after a fresh wave of border clashes left one Thai soldier dead and several others wounded, the Thai army said. Both countries blamed each other for the latest fighting near their long-disputed frontier, where tensions have escalated repeatedly in recent months.
According to Thai army spokesman Winthai Suvaree, Cambodian forces opened fire on Thai soldiers early Monday in Ubon Ratchathani province. “The Army received reports that Thai soldiers were attacked with supporting fire weapons, resulting in one soldier killed and four wounded,” he said in a statement.
Winthai confirmed that Thailand responded by “using aircraft to strike military targets in several areas” in an attempt to suppress Cambodian attacks.
Cambodia strongly rejected the accusations. Defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata claimed that Thailand initiated the violence, saying Thai troops fired “multiple shots with tanks at Tamone Thom temple” and other locations near the historic Preah Vihear temple in the early hours of Monday. She said Cambodian forces did not return fire.
Met Measpheakdey, an official in Oddar Meanchey province, said gunfire was reported near the centuries-old Tamone Thom and Ta Krabei temples. He added that many villagers living close to the border were fleeing to safer areas.
On the Thai side, authorities said nearly 35,000 residents have been evacuated from border districts as a precaution due to the renewed clashes.
A brief exchange of fire was also reported on Sunday, injuring two Thai soldiers, according to the Thai military.
This latest flare-up follows five days of intense fighting earlier this summer that killed 43 people and forced around 300,000 civilians from both countries to leave their homes before a temporary truce eased the situation.
