Cambodia accuses Thailand of heavy shelling as peace talks continue

Cambodia on Friday accused Thailand of stepping up shelling in disputed border areas, even as officials from both sides sit down for a multi-day meeting to try and halt the violence. The neighbours' long-standing border conflict reignited this month, breaking an earlier truce. Official figures put the death toll at over 40, with nearly a million people forced to flee their homes.

Cambodian and Thai officials were in their third day of talks at a border checkpoint on Friday, with defence ministers from both countries scheduled to meet on Saturday.

However, Cambodia's defence ministry said Thailand's military carried out a heavy bombardment of disputed border areas in Banteay Meanchey province on Friday morning.

What did Cambodia say?

"From 6:08 am to 7:15 am, the Thai military deployed F-16 fighter jets to drop as many as 40 bombs, to intensify its bombardment in the area of Chok Chey village," it said in a statement.

Thai media said Friday that Cambodian forces had launched heavy attacks overnight along the border in Sa Kaeo province, where several homes were damaged by shelling.

The two countries blame each other for instigating the fresh fighting, which has spread to nearly every province along their border.

Both countries also claim to have acted in self-defence and accuse the other of attacking civilians.

Fragile truce

The United States, China and Malaysia brokered a truce to end five days of deadly clashes in July, but the ceasefire was short-lived.

Earlier Friday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Facebook that he had spoken by phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the two discussed "ways to secure a ceasefire along the Cambodia–Thailand border".

The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier and a collection of temple ruins situated there.