Hanoi (VNA) – Fighting resumed in the disputed area on the Thai-Cambodian border in the early morning of December 8, killing at least one person and injuring four others.
The fighting broke out at about 5am, lasting more than an hour, and both sides accused each other of opening fire first.
The Royal Thai Army confirmed the above casualties on the Thai side. F-16 fighter jets have been deployed in some areas, The Nation reported. There is information that the number of injured people has increased to seven.
Meanwhile, the Cambodian Ministry of National Defence announced that the attack took place in the An Seh area, at Ta Moan Thom temple, Preah Vihear Temple area and Chomkar Chek area.
The developments at the border forced Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to adjust his working schedule on the morning of December 8, canceling a field survey of the disputed border area with Cambodia to convene an emergency security meeting to assess and handle the border situation.
In a related development, the Cambodia News Agency (AKP) reported that the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), General Vong Pisen, met with his Malaysian counterpart, General Tan Sri Hj Mohd Nizam bin Hj Jaffar, in Phnom Penh on December 7 to discuss regional security, border stability and the ongoing ASEAN-led mediation efforts between Cambodia and Thailand.
General Vong Pisen commended Malaysia, the current ASEAN Chair, for its pivotal role in brokering the Cambodia–Thailand ceasefire agreement on July 28, which was also co-chaired by the US with the active participation of China.
He particularly acknowledged the Chief of the Malaysian Defence Force’s swift action in establishing the ASEAN Ad Hoc Observer Team (AOT) a day after the ceasefire on July 29, and highlighted the crucial impact of the AOT in de-escalating tensions and addressing ground-level challenges.
The Malaysian Defence Forces Chief acknowledged the complexity of ensuring sustainable peace in the area. He pledged that Malaysia would continue its mediating efforts and closely monitor the ceasefire's implementation to help maintain long-term stability./.
