Cambodian and Thai soldiers wounded in border skirmish
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Fighting briefly broke out on the Thai-Cambodian border this week, a media report said yesterday, the first such incident since the May 22 coup.
A Cambodian soldier was shot three times and was in hospital, while a Thai soldier was also wounded, The Phnom Penh Post said.
It was not clear which side opened fire first in Monday’s incident near the disputed ancient temple of Preah Vihear. Cambodian General Chea Tara was quoted as saying the situation had now normalised.
Cambodia’s porous border with Thailand has long been a bone of contention. The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the Preah Vihear Temple, about 400 kilometres north of Phnom Penh, was Cambodian territory. The area surrounding the cliff-top temple is still under dispute.
The Cambodian government had strong ties to the ousted government of former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, but has tried to maintain friendly relations with the junta since it seized power in May.
