Cambodian troops violated the ceasefire after it came into effect, Thai army deputy spokesman Ritcha Suksuwanon said on Tuesday.
The ceasefire between the two sides came into effect at midnight on July 29 local time. Both Bangkok and Phnom Penh reported attacks shortly before the ceasefire took effect. However, according to the Cambodian newspaper Khmer Times, the fighting between the two sides ceased at 0:30 local time.
However, the Thai army claims that Cambodian troops attacked units in the Suranare area after midnight, with clashes continuing until 5:30 a.m.
Later, Cambodian Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Lieutenant General Maly Socheata said that both sides were observing the ceasefire. She noted that the military forces of both countries should remain in their positions until working groups are formed to begin negotiations.
“From midnight on July 28 to the morning of July 29, no gunfire was heard on the border between Cambodia and Thailand. This situation marks a successful first step in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement reached by the royal governments of Cambodia and Thailand,” Socheata emphasised.
The source of tension on the Thai-Cambodian border remains a dispute that has been going on for more than a century, including over the Preah Vihear temple complex, which is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1962, the UN International Court of Justice ruled that the temple belongs to Cambodia, but Thailand did not recognise the decision and continues to claim the complex.
The path of war and ceasefire
Fighting in areas adjacent to the border also took place in 2008-2011. The last time, three days of fighting left six Cambodian and four Thai soldiers dead and about 40 soldiers wounded.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia had been rising in recent months, but on July 24, they escalated into armed clashes on the border. The sides accused each other of escalating the conflict. Thailand closed border crossings on its side. Cambodia responded by downgrading diplomatic relations with Thailand, expelling the kingdom’s ambassador and recalling diplomats from its embassy in Thailand.
During five days of clashes in Thailand, 22 people were killed: 14 civilians and eight soldiers, and another 140 were wounded. 139,600 people were evacuated from the border areas. The Cambodian authorities did not provide overall figures for casualties during the fighting. On July 26, the country’s Ministry of Defence reported the deaths of 13 people, including five soldiers and eight civilians.
On July 28, after talks with US President Donald Trump, the parties concluded a ceasefire agreement brokered by Malaysia.
