Thailand says 4 soldiers killed, vows to continue military action against Cambodia
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Thailand says 4 soldiers killed, vows to continue military action against Cambodia")
Thailand Cambodia crisis Photograph: (AFP)
Thailand said four soldiers were killed in renewed clashes with Cambodia despite US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire claim. Fighting over a disputed colonial-era border has killed at least 15 people and displaced over 500,000, even as leaders reportedly agreed to halt hostilities.
Despite US President Donald Trump's ceasefire claims, Thailand said that four of its soldiers were killed on Saturday (Dec13) in renewed clashes at the border with Cambodia. Defence ministry spokesman Surasant Kongsiri at a press conference said that four more soldiers died from the clash in Chong An Ma area, adding that 14 soldiers have died since fighting erupted on Monday. Cambodia, in retaliation, suspended all of its border crossings with Thailand.
Earlier, US President Trump said that the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia are ready for peace and agreed to halt fighting. Trump announced the truce on his social media platform Truth Social, after speaking with both leaders over the phone. "I had a very good conversation this morning with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul, and the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Manet, concerning the very unfortunate reawakening of their long-running War. They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump also called the triggering point of the fresh clashes an “accident.” The fresh clashes were triggered after a Thai soldier was injured by a landmine, allegedly placed near disputed border area by Cambodia, in November. Cambodia denied the claims, but the Thai soldier died later prompting Thailand to launch an air strike. Trump said, “The roadside bomb that originally killed and wounded numerous Thai Soldiers was an accident, but Thailand nevertheless retaliated very strongly.”
The Southeast Asian nations - Thailand and Cambodia - dispute the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border. Both countries also claim the land surrounding the 11th-century Preah Vihear Temple as their own. In the fresh clashes, at least 15 people, including Thai soldiers and Cambodian civilians, have been killed so far. More than half a million people have fled border areas.
