Cambodia and Thailand traded accusations of fresh clashes along their border on Wednesday, after Bangkok said it was pausing the implementation of a US-backed peace deal.
Five days of hostilities erupted between the two countries this summer, killing 43 people and displacing around 300,000 before a truce backed by US President Donald Trump cooled tensions.
However, Thailand on Monday paused implementation of a follow-on deal to wind down hostilities, claiming a blast from a newly laid landmine had wounded four of its soldiers.
Two days later, both sides exchanged blame over fresh gunfire, according to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Cambodian information minister Neth Pheaktra told AFP that “Thai soldiers opened fire on civilians,” wounding at least five in Prey Chan village of Banteay Meanchey Province, citing a toll from local authorities.
Richa Suksuwanon, deputy spokesperson of the Royal Thai Army, told reporters that soldiers heard small arms fire from the Cambodian side around 4:00 pm (0900 GMT) but “did not return fire.”
“It is believed to be a provocation by the Cambodian side,” he said.
Cambodia’s information ministry shared images and video which it alleged showed wounded civilians, including one man being treated in an ambulance with a bloodied leg. AFP said it was not able to verify the provenance of the images.
Local villager Hul Malis told AFP by phone that gunfire had wounded at least three people in her area. “They just shot at us. We did nothing,” she said. “I am so frightened, I am running away now.”
The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century to disagreements over colonial-era maps. Tensions have long flared around several temples that both sides claim as their own.
Both governments agreed to a truce in late July following intervention by Trump, Chinese diplomats, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Late last month, the two countries signed a joint declaration to further ease tensions, including withdrawing heavy weapons and allowing ceasefire monitors access to contested zones.
While experts said the agreement did not resolve the underlying territorial dispute, Trump touted it as proof of his “presidential peace-making abilities.”
