Thai Army Claims Border Attack with Cambodia Was an Accident During Ceasefire

Border Conflicts

The Thai Army has declared that Cambodia has claimed that a recent attack was an accident, after a Thai soldier was injured in a mortar attack in a disputed border region, while a ceasefire agreed upon at the end of December continues to hold. On Tuesday morning, Thai forces accused their Cambodian counterparts of violating a 10-day ceasefire by shelling a border province.

In a subsequent statement, the Thai army indicated that the Cambodian side had contacted them to explain that "there was no intention to fire into Thai territory," adding that "the incident was caused by an operational error on the part of Cambodian personnel." The Thai Army accused Cambodian forces of firing mortar rounds into Ubon Ratchathani province, resulting in a soldier being injured by shrapnel and evacuated for medical treatment.

The long-standing conflict between the two Southeast Asian neighbors erupted into military clashes several times last year, with December fighting resulting in the deaths of dozens and the displacement of about one million people on both sides. The two countries agreed to a ceasefire on December 27, putting an end to weeks of confrontations. Cambodia has requested that Thailand withdraw its forces from several border areas claimed by Phnom Penh.

While the two nations agreed at the end of last month to halt hostilities, they still need to resolve the delineation of their disputed border. The Cambodian Defense Ministry stated on Tuesday morning that Phnom Penh has proposed a bilateral border committee meeting with their Thai counterparts to be held in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, later this month.