‘Pile of garbage exploded’: Cambodia justifies after Thailand alleges ceasefire violation
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Pile of garbage exploded’: Cambodia justifies after Thailand alleges ceasefire violation")
This handout photo taken and released by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP) on December 13, 2025 shows smoke rising following a blast in Pursat province, amid clashes along the Cambodia-Thailand border. Photograph: (AFP)
Thailand accused Cambodia of violating a 10-day-old truce after mortar fire injured a Thai soldier. Cambodia called it an accident, denied targeting Thailand and said two of its own soldiers were hurt. The incident occurred near the Emerald Triangle border area.
Thailand on Tuesday (Jan 6) accused Cambodia of violating the 10-day-old truce between the neighbours, saying that cross-border mortar fire injured its troops. Meanwhile, Phnom Penh claimed that the incident was an accident, adding that there was “no intention to fire into Thai territory” and also injured two of its own soldiers. This comes after the two countries agreed to a fragile truce on December 27 following three weeks of clashes.
‘Cambodia has violated the ceasefire,” the Thai army said in a statement on Tuesday, accusing Cambodian forces of firing mortar rounds into its Ubon Ratchathani province. It added that one soldier was wounded by shrapnel.
In a statement, Cambodia’s Defence Ministry spokeswoman Lieutenant General Maly Socheata said that the incident, which happened at 7:27 am on Tuesday in Mom Bei, Preah Vihear province, occurred when Cambodian troops were carrying out organisational and orderliness arrangements at their stationed areas within their territory.
“At the same time, an explosion occurred from a pile of garbage, resulting in one minor injury and one serious injury to two Cambodian soldiers who were performing their duties at the site,” she said.
The Thai army later said in a statement that the Cambodian side contacted a Thai military unit and claimed that “there was no intention to fire into Thai territory” and that “the incident was caused by an operational error by Cambodian personnel.”
The Thai army said that it warned Cambodia to exercise caution, stressing that a similar incident in future would attract retaliation.
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The explosion happened near a frontier region known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos meet, Socheata added. She did not mention the allegation of a strike by Thailand but said that border coordination teams from both nations addressed the incident.
The fresh clashes between Thailand and Cambodia were triggered last year after a Thai soldier was injured by a landmine, allegedly placed near the disputed border area by Cambodia, in November. Cambodia denied the claims, but the Thai soldier died later, prompting Thailand to launch an air strike, triggering the recent clashes.
