 "'Accident, not ceasefire violation’: Thailand says Cambodia strike not intentional, truce sticks")
Thailand’s army said on Tuesday that Cambodia has claimed a recent mortar strike that wounded a Thai soldier in a disputed border area was accidental, as a ceasefire agreed in late December continues to hold.
Thai forces had earlier accused their Cambodian counterparts of violating the 10-day-old truce after bombarding a border province.
According to an Aljazeera report, in a later statement, the Thai military said the Cambodian side had contacted them to explain “there was no intention to fire into Thai territory,” adding that “the incident was caused by an operational error by Cambodian personnel.”
Thailand’s army said Cambodian forces fired mortar rounds into Ubon Ratchathani province, leaving one soldier wounded by shrapnel and evacuated for medical treatment.
“The Thai military unit in the area issued a warning to Cambodia to exercise caution and emphasised that if such errors occur again, Thailand may be compelled to carry out defensive countermeasures,” the statement added.
Longstanding border tensions
The decades-long dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, rooted in colonial-era border demarcations and centuries-old temple claims, has repeatedly flared into violence.
Last year’s clashes killed dozens and displaced roughly one million people on both sides.
A truce agreed on December 27 ended three weeks of fighting, with both nations pledging to ceasefire, freeze troop movements, and cooperate on demining.
Thailand also released 18 Cambodian soldiers held since July, calling it “a demonstration of goodwill and confidence-building,” while Phnom Penh said it hoped the move would “significantly contribute to building mutual trust.”
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View AllPrevious ceasefires, brokered by the US, China, and Malaysia, had been short-lived.
In October, US President Donald Trump attended a follow-on declaration in Malaysia, promoting the truce and new trade deals, but Bangkok suspended the agreement the next month after Thai soldiers were injured by landmines.
Tensions remain high.
On Saturday, Phnom Penh called on Thailand to withdraw forces from disputed areas, which Bangkok insists have always been Thai territory. Cambodia has proposed a bilateral border committee meeting in Siem Reap this month, though Thailand has said discussions may need to wait until after its elections on February 8.
Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence declined to comment on a recent alleged mortar strike, while the two sides continue to grapple with a lasting resolution to their 800km (500-mile) disputed border.
With inputs from agencies
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