Bangkok, Thailand – The Thai military launched airstrikes Monday along the country’s border with Cambodia after one of its soldiers was reportedly killed by gunfire coming from the Cambodian side, amid armed clashes between the two countries over the past 24 hours.
Thailand’s Armed Forces, which also reported four soldiers wounded in the skirmishes, confirmed the air operations in a statement, describing them as “a response to Cambodian military operations,” while Phnom Penh denied initiating any shooting.
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Bangkok said it targeted “only military infrastructure, weapons depots, command centers and combat support routes” linked to activities it considers threats to national security.
Military reports also described numerous clashes at several points along the roughly 820-kilometer (510-mile) border, where both governments have begun evacuating civilians and deploying personnel and defensive equipment.
Phnom Penh, for its part, again accused Thailand of provoking several incidents in recent days and insisted Monday that Cambodian troops had not retaliated against what it described as enemy fire.
Two Thai soldiers were wounded Sunday during an exchange of gunfire between the two militaries, which have a long-standing territorial dispute that escalated in July into five days of fighting that left nearly 50 people dead.
The new clashes effectively break the peace agreement signed by Thailand and Cambodia last October in Malaysia, mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
On Nov. 12, both armies also accused each other of opening fire in an incident that caused no injuries. Tensions have risen repeatedly following the detonation of landmines that have wounded Thai soldiers.
Bangkok and Phnom Penh have a long-running territorial dispute over several areas along their border, which was mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was a French colony.
SOURCE : EFE. | Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |
