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Thailand Protests Cambodia Border Explosion, Soldier Injured in Ceasefire Breach

Thailand has formally protested to Cambodia after a mortar explosion on their border injured a Thai soldier, which Bangkok claims violated a ceasefire agreement. Cambodian authorities later contacted Thai military, stating the incident was an unintentional mistake during operations. In a separate incident the same day, two Cambodian soldiers were injured by an explosive in a border area garbage pile. Meanwhile, over 200,000 Cambodian evacuees from recent border conflicts remain in displacement camps, with about two-thirds having returned home.

Key Points: Thailand Protests Cambodia Border Explosion, Ceasefire Violation

  • Thai soldier injured in border explosion
  • Thailand protests ceasefire violation
  • Cambodia claims incident was unintentional
  • Two Cambodian soldiers injured in separate blast
  • Over 200,000 Cambodian evacuees still displaced
2 min read

Thailand lodges protest with Cambodia over border explosion

Thailand lodges formal protest after Cambodian mortar fire injures soldier. Both sides exchange claims, while thousands of Cambodian evacuees remain displaced.

"Thailand is strictly abiding by the ceasefire terms, it is fully prepared to respond to all possible scenarios - Anutin Charnvirakul"

Bangkok, Jan 6

Thailand's caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a media interview on Tuesday that the country's military has lodged a protest with Cambodia over an explosion in the border area that injured a Thai soldier.

Earlier on Tuesday, Thailand's 2nd Area Command stated on social media that Cambodia violated the ceasefire agreement by firing a mortar round in the border area at around 7:25 a.m. local time, leaving one Thai soldier injured.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent a letter to its Cambodian counterpart, notifying that Cambodia has violated the ceasefire declaration, according to Anutin.

Anutin stressed that while Thailand is strictly abiding by the ceasefire terms, it is fully prepared to respond to all possible scenarios, reports Xinhua news agency.

Thai Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said on Tuesday that the Thai military has issued a warning to Cambodia to exercise caution and strictly adhere to ceasefire measures.

He added that the local Thai military unit was contacted by the Cambodian side afterwards, which claimed that the incident was not intentional but rather a mistake made during their personnel's operations.

Also on Tuesday, two Cambodian soldiers were injured in the morning when an explosive accidentally exploded in a pile of garbage in a border area in Cambodia's Preah Vihear province, Cambodian Defence Ministry's Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said.

The working teams of both countries have consulted, exchanged information, and jointly addressed the issue accordingly.

Some 68.4 per cent of the Cambodian evacuees from a recent border conflict with Thailand have returned to their homes so far, Cambodia's Interior Ministry Spokesperson Touch Sokhak said on Tuesday.

Sokhak said that about 444,179 out of 649,023 Cambodian evacuees have returned to their homes.

"Roughly 204,844 people, including 108,466 women and 66,892 children, remain in displacement camps," he said in a press briefing.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The human cost is the real tragedy here. Over 200,000 people, mostly women and children, still in displacement camps? That's heartbreaking. The focus should be on getting these families home safely, not just military posturing.
A
Ananya R
"Mistake made during personnel's operations" sounds like a very convenient excuse. Thailand is right to be on high alert. When you have a ceasefire, you must be extra careful. This shows a lack of discipline.
V
Vikram M
Reading this from India, it's a reminder how fragile peace can be. Dialogue is key. The fact that working teams are consulting is a positive sign. Hope they find a permanent solution for the border residents.
K
Karthik V
Respectfully, I think the article could provide more context. What is the history of this border dispute? A single incident report doesn't give the full picture. Understanding the root cause is important for readers.
P
Priya S
So many families displaced! 444,179 have returned, but that's still a massive number of people who had to flee their homes. The real story is the humanitarian crisis, not just the political protest.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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