Thailand says Cambodia breached a fragile 10‑day ceasefire after cross‑border mortar fire wounded a Thai soldier, while Cambodia says an explosion from a "pile of garbage" injured two of its troops. Both sides report consultations via border coordination teams and Phnom Penh has called the event an accident. The clash revives a long‑running dispute over an 800‑kilometre colonial‑era border that sparked deadly December fighting and mass displacement. Cambodia has proposed a bilateral committee meeting in Siem Reap; Thailand may delay formal demarcation talks until after its Feb. 8 election.
Thailand Accuses Cambodia Of Breaching 10‑Day Truce After Cross‑Border 'Accident' Wounds Soldier
The two countries agreed a fragile truce on December 27, ending three weeks of clashes. (Handout)(Handout/Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP)/AFP)
Thailand on Tuesday accused Cambodia of violating a fragile 10‑day ceasefire after what Bangkok described as cross‑border mortar fire that wounded a Thai soldier. Phnom Penh gave a different account, saying an explosion from a "pile of garbage" injured two Cambodian troops. Both sides say they have consulted through border coordination channels as they seek to clarify what happened.
Incident Details
The Thai army said mortar rounds landed in Ubon Ratchathani province, hospitalizing one Thai soldier with non‑life‑threatening shrapnel wounds to his right arm. In a separate statement, Cambodian officials said two of their soldiers were injured — one seriously — when a pile of waste exploded while troops were carrying out routine "organization and orderliness" duties in Preah Vihear province, which faces Thailand across the frontier.
Official Responses
Thailand's military warned Cambodian forces to exercise greater caution and said it had lodged a formal protest with Phnom Penh. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Bangkok regarded the truce as violated but noted that, at the military level, Cambodia described the episode as an accident and an operational error. He added Thailand retained the "capability to respond" if necessary.
Cambodia's defence ministry spokeswoman, Maly Socheata, did not acknowledge the mortar‑fire allegation but said both countries' border coordination teams had consulted and addressed the incident involving Cambodian soldiers. The ministries have proposed further talks to investigate and reduce the risk of renewed clashes.
Context And Next Steps
The incident occurred in the Emerald Triangle region where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos meet — an area that has seen recurring violence. The two neighbours agreed a tentative truce on December 27 after weeks of fighting in December that killed dozens and displaced around one million people on both sides.
Both nations trace the dispute to competing claims over an roughly 800‑kilometre colonial‑era border. Under the December agreement they pledged to stop firing, freeze troop movements and cooperate on demining. Phnom Penh has proposed a bilateral border committee meeting in Siem Reap this month; Bangkok has suggested that detailed surveying and demarcation talks may need to wait until after Thailand's national election scheduled for February 8.
Why this matters: The incident highlights how fragile the truce remains and underscores the urgent need for clear, high‑level dialogue to prevent accidental escalations along a long‑disputed frontier.
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