Bangkok: Thailand's military has accused Cambodian forces of breaching a ceasefire agreement at three separate locations along the disputed border, warning that continued aggression could compel Thai forces to respond more decisively. This development comes less than two days after both governments agreed to a ceasefire brokered in Malaysia, which came into effect at midnight on Monday. The ceasefire aimed to stop fighting in their deadliest conflict in more than a decade, following five days of intense fighting that resulted in at least 43 fatalities and displaced over 300,000 civilians on either side.
According to TRTworld.com, on Wednesday, Thailand reported that Cambodian forces fired on positions in northeastern Thailand's Sisaket province along Cambodia's northern border. Thai army spokesman Major-General Winthai Suvaree stated, "Cambodian forces used small arms and grenade launchers, prompting Thailand to respond in self-defence." He added that this was the second incident since the ceasefire agreement and criticized the actions as undermining trust and de-escalation efforts between the two nations.
In response, Cambodia rejected the allegations and emphasized its commitment to the ceasefire, calling for observers to ensure transparency. Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chum Sounry stated, "Cambodia strongly rejects the ceasefire accusations as false, misleading and harmful to the fragile trust-building process," adding that the government supports a monitoring mechanism and independent observation.
The ceasefire agreement, which also included a halt to troop movements, is intended to pave the way for a high-level military meeting involving defence ministers scheduled for August 4 in Cambodia. Despite the tensions, there have been no reports of heavy artillery exchanges or troop withdrawals by either side.