Thailand says Cambodia breached 10-day ceasefire after cross-border incident
Thailand says Cambodia breached 10-day ceasefire after cross-border incident
Thai forces allege Cambodia fired mortars near the border injuring one soldier; Cambodia counters with a garbage-pile explosion that wounded two troops, as both sides push for restraint amid a fragile truce.
A fragile truce between Thailand and Cambodia, reached on December 27, continues to be tested as both sides accuse the other of violating the 10-day-old ceasefire on Tuesday near the border. Bangkok says Cambodian forces fired mortar rounds into Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province, wounding one Thai soldier with non-life-threatening shrapnel in the right arm. The Thai army added that forces did not retaliate and instead sought to verify the incident with the Cambodian side, noting Phnom Penh claimed there was no intention to fire into Thai territory.
Cambodia’s Defence Ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said two Cambodian soldiers were injured in the morning when “an explosion occurred from a pile of garbage” while Cambodian troops were performing “organization and orderliness” duties in Preah Vihear province opposite Ubon Ratchathani. The two injured soldiers were hospitalised, she added, emphasizing there was no intent to target Thai forces.
The cross-border episode comes as a long-running border dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbours has repeatedly flared, with fighting last year killing dozens and displacing around a million people on both sides. A fragile truce was agreed on December 27, ending weeks of clashes, but the incidents reported on January 6 underscore how quickly tensions can rise.
Thailand’s military stressed that there was no intention to fire into Thai territory and that it warned Cambodian forces that if a similar incident occurred again, retaliation could be considered. The Thai side called on Cambodia to prevent recurrence and offered to discuss the matter to restore confidence in the ceasefire.
Analysts say the current pause hinges on transparent communications and disciplined restraint, as both nations weigh the risks of escalation against the imperative to protect civilians along the border.
