Thailand lodges protest with Cambodia over border explosion

BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH: Thailand's caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a media interview on Tuesday that the country's military has lodged a protest with Cambodia over an explosion in the border area that injured a Thai soldier.

AI Brief

Thailand says Cambodia broke ceasefire by firing a mortar that injured a Thai soldier, while Cambodia calls it an accident.
Thai officials warn they are prepared for all scenarios while urging Cambodia to adhere to ceasefire terms.
Both countries' teams met to exchange information and address the incident after two Cambodian soldiers were hurt in a separate blast.

Earlier Tuesday, Thailand's 2nd Area Command stated on social media that Cambodia violated the ceasefire agreement by firing a mortar round in the border area at around 7:25 a.m. local time, leaving one Thai soldier injured.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent a letter to its Cambodian counterpart, notifying that Cambodia has violated the ceasefire declaration, according to Anutin.

Anutin stressed that while Thailand is strictly abiding by the ceasefire terms, it is fully prepared to respond to all possible scenarios.

Thai Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said on Tuesday that the Thai military has issued a warning to Cambodia to exercise caution and strictly adhere to ceasefire measures.

He added that the local Thai military unit was contacted by the Cambodian side afterward, which claimed that the incident was not intentional but rather a mistake made during their personnel's operations.

Also on Tuesday, two Cambodian soldiers were injured in the morning when an explosive accidentally exploded in a pile of garbage in a border area in Cambodia's Preah Vihear province, Cambodian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said.

The working teams of both countries have consulted, exchanged information, and jointly addressed the issue accordingly.