Military clashes on the border between Cambodia and Thailand have left at least four Cambodian civilians dead, Phnom Penh’s information minister told AFP on Monday, after Bangkok carried out aerial bombardments against the neighboring country.
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“At least four Cambodian civilians died in Thai attacks” in the border provinces of Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear, said Minister Neth Pheaktra, who also reported ten civilians injured.
On the Thai side, the government previously announced that one soldier had died and eight others were injured in clashes with Cambodian forces.
Thailand launched airstrikes against its neighbor Cambodia on Monday after the two countries blamed each other for a new outbreak of border clashes that led to the death of a Thai soldier.
“The military received reports that Thai soldiers were attacked with firearms (by Cambodian forces), resulting in the death of one soldier and the injury of four,” Winthai Suvaree, a spokesperson for the Thai armed forces, said in a statement.
He later added that Thailand had begun “using aircraft to attack military targets in various areas” to repel the actions of Cambodian forces.
But Cambodian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said Thai forces launched an attack on Cambodian troops in the border provinces of Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey on Monday morning. She also said Phnom Penh forces did not respond.
A spokesperson for the Oddar Meanchey provincial administration said shootings were reported near the ancient Cambodian temples of Tamone Thom and Ta Krabei, and that “many residents living near the border are fleeing.”
Around 35,000 people have been evacuated from border areas between Thailand and Cambodia, the Thai army announced after an exchange of accusations of attacks.
Both sides reported brief clashes on Sunday and the Thai military noted that two of its soldiers were injured that day. A few months ago, the two Southeast Asian countries experienced five days of clashes which left 43 dead and around 300,000 displaced, before a ceasefire came into force.
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