Cambodian border clashes leave 1 civilian killed, 3 injured

Nov. 13 (UPI) — At least one person was killed and three others were wounded in renewed fighting between Thailand and Cambodia over their shared border.

The two militaries exchanged fire Wednesday afternoon, with each side blaming the other, as the fragile U.S. President Donald Trump-brokered truce appears all but broken.

Cambodia’s foreign ministry, in a statement, said Thai forces opened fire on Cambodian civilians in border communities, killing one person and injuring three others.

Phnom Penh’s Ministry of Defense published photos of military members greeting the injured civilians at the hospital.

The ministry accused the Thai military of attacking Cambodia twice, once at 3:50 p.m. local time and again at 5:54 p.m.

Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia condemned the attack, requesting an independent investigation to hold those responsible accountable.

“I call on the Thai side to immediately cease the use of force against innocent Cambodian civilians in Prey Chan Village and to refrain from any use of force in addressing border issues between our two countries,” he said in a statement.

Thailand has rejected the accusations and accused Cambodia of attacking Thailand first.

“Cambodia troops opened fire first, more than 30 rounds!” the Royal Thai Army said in a social media statement.

It said Cambodian soldiers opened fire into Thailand at 4:10 p.m.

“Thailand troops fired warning shots and responded according to the Rules on the Use of Force, taking great care to avoid civilian targets, in order to protect Thai lives and sovereignty,” it said.

Thailand and Cambodia have long been in a border dispute that turned deadly this past July. Dozens of people were killed in the five days of fighting, which came to an initial halt on July 28, with a peace agreement signed as Trump looked on in a Malaysian ceremony in late October.

Trump has heralded the agreement as a foreign policy accomplishment, with Cambodia nominating the U.S. president for the Nobel Prize. Trump last week lifted a Biden-era arms embargo on Cambodia despite accusations of corruption and repression in its government.

Thailand on Tuesday suspended the peace agreement after four soldiers patrolling near their shared border were wounded by landmines.

Thai military officials accused Cambodia of tampering with a barbed wire fence to gain access to Thai territory where they planted the mines in areas they knew were patrolled.

One of the wounded soldiers lost a foot in the incident.

“Cambodia fired first, provoked and is not trying to divert attention from its own inhumane landmine attack,” the Royal Thai Army said Thursday in a statement.