Arya News - Thailand has launched renewed airstrikes along the disputed border with Cambodia, after both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire deal brokered by Donald Trump six weeks ago.
Thailand has launched renewed airstrikes along the disputed border with Cambodia, after both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire deal brokered by Donald Trump six weeks ago .
On Monday morning, the Thai military said it had carried out air and ground operations after Cambodian forces killed at least one soldier and wounded eight others in the eastern province of Ubon Ratchathani.
Winthai Suvaree, the army spokesperson, said Thailand only targeted military sites and gave “highest priority” to civilian safety.
“The airstrikes were highly precise and focused only on military targets near the frontline,” he said, adding that action was taken to suppress Cambodian forces only after Thailand came under fire.
“It did not impact the civilians.”
More than 35,000 people were already evacuated to temporary shelters after a brief skirmish on Sunday.
People take shelter in Buriram province amid fresh military clashes at the border - Prajoub Sukprom
Anutin Charnvirakul, the Thai prime minister, said in a televised address that Thailand was “determined to defend our sovereignty, according to international rules and our right to defend ourselves”.
He added that Thailand “never wishes to see violence”, nor has it “initiated or carried out any aggression”.
But Cambodia has denied attacking first, with the ministry of defence instead accusing Thai forces of launching dawn strikes on two locations following days of provocative actions.
Maly Socheata, the ministry’s spokesperson, also claimed Cambodia did not retaliate on Monday despite “provocative actions for many days”.
“Cambodia urges that Thailand immediately stop all hostile activities that threaten peace and stability in the region,” she said.
The Royal Thai Army released a photo of a soldier showing a scar after being shot by Cambodian troops - ROYAL THAI ARMY
The latest flare-up of fighting is the most serious since a five-day war erupted in July, killing at least 48 people and forcing some 300,000 to flee their homes in a stand-off ostensibly caused by differing interpretations of a colonial-era map from 1907.
There were hopes that tensions would dissipate after the two governments signed the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord in late October, in a ceremony presided over by Mr Trump. The US president had threatened to derail trade talks if the two countries did not reach an agreement, and has sought credit for the peace .
But the deal did not address the root causes of the dispute or detail a path to resolve issues, and frosty relations have continued. Last month, Thailand announced it would indefinitely suspend the implementation of the agreement after troops were injured by land mines – even before then, the peace had seemed fragile.
Thailand launched the air strikes on Monday - REUTERS
On Monday, the Malaysian prime minister, who helped broker the original ceasefire, urged both countries not to escalate tensions.
“We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint, maintain open channels of communication and make full use of the mechanisms in place,” said Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the current chair of the regional bloc Asean.
Analysts said it was difficult to know how long the fighting would last, and suggested domestic politics in both countries had had an impact.
Tita Sanglee, a Bangkok-based associate fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute think tank, told The Telegraph: “It’s important to understand that the underlying territorial contestation is very real, but the theatrical aspect is equally pronounced.”
She added that the fighting will “most likely” end relatively quickly because Cambodia and Thailand will be under pressure from Asean and major powers like the US and China.
“But, before such intervention materialises, it’s entirely possible that this round of clash could be more intense than the July confrontation,” she said.
“Both sides may try to inflict as much damage as possible before another ‘ceasefire’ takes effect.
“But on the whole, I’ve maintained that the Thai-Cambodian conflict is not going to end conclusively. It is episodic and recurring.”
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