Thai, Cambodian Troops Clash in First Breach of Ceasefire

(Bloomberg) -- Thai and Cambodian troops clashed in the border area of northeastern Thailand, exchanging gunfire and launching grenades in the first such conflict between their forces since they agreed to a US-backed ceasefire in late July.

The Thai army received a report from its unit that Cambodian soldiers had fired into the Chong An Ma area in Ubon Ratchathani province, army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said in a statement Saturday. The Suranaree Task Force has been placed on alert and ordered to respond appropriately, Winthai said. No injuries or fatalities have been reported on the Thai side.

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Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense said Thai military forces initially fired small arms and mortar rounds on its An Seh military base. The Cambodian armed forces are carefully monitoring the situation, and are fully prepared to defend the nation’s territorial integrity, according to the statement.

The conflict began in late May after the two nations’ armies exchanged gunfire in the border area, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier, after which tensions escalated. 

In early July, a court suspended then-prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra pending an investigation into allegations of misconduct for her handling of the conflict. The former premier was ultimately dismissed after the Constitutional Court ruled that a leaked private phone call she had with ex-Cambodian leader Hun Sen was an ethical violation.

Relations between the two nations remain tense months after the ceasefire, and newly installed Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has said he plans to take steps to peacefully resolve the border dispute.

(Updates with details of earlier clashes from the fourth paragraph.)

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