Both sides have accused each other of violating international law as they wait for Donald Trump’s promised phone call.
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry accused Thailand’s military of launching a series of attacks inside the country in the early hours of Thursday morning, including deploying tanks and artillery to attack targets in the country’s Pursat, Banteay Meanchey and Odar Meanchey provinces.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
In one such attack, Cambodia accused Thai soldiers of violating international humanitarian law by firing on civilians in Prey Chan village in Banteay Meanchey province.
In another, it accused Thai forces of shelling “the Khanar temple area”, and said Thai forces had also “fired artillery and supporting fire into the O’Smach area”.
The Defense Ministry said, “Cambodia urges that Thailand immediately cease all hostile activities and withdraw its forces from the territorial integrity of Cambodia, and refrain from aggressive actions that threaten peace and stability in the region.”
Clashes broke out on Wednesday at more than a dozen locations along the disputed colonial-era demarcated 817 kilometer (508 mile) Thai-Cambodian border, some of the most intense fighting reported since a five-day battle in July that left dozens dead on both sides.
Cambodia’s Interior Ministry said that “Thailand’s intense shelling and F-16 air strikes targeting villages and civilian population centers up to 30 km (18.6 mi) inside Cambodian territory have damaged homes, schools, roads, Buddhist pagodas and ancient temples.”
“It should be noted that… these brutal acts of aggression by the Thai military targeted civilian areas, especially schools, and opened fire indiscriminately, and also destroyed Cambodia’s highly sacred cultural sites and the World Cultural Heritage Ta Krabbe and Preah Vihear temples.”
As of Wednesday, the death toll on the Cambodian side of the border stood at 10 civilians, including an infant, while 60 people were injured, the ministry said.
Responding to the allegations, the Thai military said that Cambodia had “knowingly” used a historic site as a “military operating base” and was therefore guilty of violating international law.
The Thai military said, “Cambodia deliberately used the ancient site as a base for military operations, to attack Thailand, and deliberately weakened the protection of the ancient site. Thailand retaliated as necessary.”
It said eight Thai soldiers have also been killed in fighting so far this week, while more than 80 have been injured.
Both sides have blamed each other for rekindling the conflict, which began on Monday and has spread to five provinces in Thailand and Cambodia, AFP news agency reports.
The fighting has forced more than 500,000 Thai and Cambodian civilians to flee the border areas.
On October 26, Trump presided over the signing of a ceasefire between the Southeast Asian neighbors in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Praising the agreement, which was also brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Trump said the mediators had “done something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done”.
“I think I can convince them to stop fighting,” Trump, who is optimistic about securing another peace deal, told reporters on Wednesday.
“I think I’m scheduled to talk to him tomorrow,” he said.
<a href