Thailand alleges truce breach in border flare-up with Cambodia; Phnom Penh denies weapons use
Thailand’s military said its troops exchanged fire with Cambodian forces along their disputed border after a grenade was launched near a Thai patrol in Sisaket province, accusing Phnom Penh of violating a December ceasefire. Cambodia’s government rejected the claim as “entirely false,” insisting no weapons were fired.
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In a statement, the Thai army said Cambodian forces “fired a single 40mm grenade round” near a patrol, prompting Thai troops to return fire as a warning and for self-defense. “Following the incident, Thai forces responded by firing an M79 in the direction from which the shot originated,” the statement said. No Thai personnel were injured on Tuesday, it added.
Thailand’s preliminary assessment suggested the episode “may have resulted from a rotation of Cambodian troops, with new personnel lacking familiarity with regulations and command control.” The military did not specify whether liaison mechanisms were activated before or after the exchange of fire.
Cambodian Information Minister Neth Pheaktra called the allegations “entirely false” and designed to “mislead public opinion and provoke tension.” In a separate statement, Defense Ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said liaison teams from both militaries promptly discussed the incident after “reports of explosions and gunfire on the Thai side,” and that Cambodian officials informed their counterparts “that Cambodian forces did not fire any weapons as alleged.”
Neth Pheaktra reiterated Cambodia’s “unwavering commitment” to the December truce and an earlier, short-lived ceasefire deal from October. “Cambodia is deeply concerned that unilateral allegations made without joint verification, consultation or factual substantiation risk misrepresenting the situation on the ground and undermining mutual trust,” he said.
The latest claims come amid persistent tensions along a frontier that has seen repeated clashes and competing narratives. The neighbors signed a ceasefire agreement in late December that committed both sides to cease fire, freeze troop movements and cooperate on demining efforts. But incidents have continued: last month Thailand accused Cambodia of violating the truce, saying cross-border mortar fire wounded a Thai soldier. Phnom Penh countered that a “pile of garbage” exploded on the Cambodian side, injuring two of its own troops.
Since last year’s heavy fighting, Cambodia has said Thai forces captured several areas in border provinces in breach of understandings and has demanded their withdrawal. Bangkok has maintained it merely reclaimed land that is part of Thailand and had been occupied by Cambodians for years.
The decades-long dispute has periodically erupted into violence, including several rounds of clashes last year that killed dozens of people and, in July and December, displaced more than a million. While the December truce reduced large-scale fighting, officials on both sides have continued to trade accusations over local violations and troop movements along remote stretches of the frontier.
The 800-kilometer boundary remains unresolved in parts, a legacy of differing interpretations of French colonial-era maps and subsequent demarcation efforts. Both governments say they seek to preserve calm and use established military hotlines and liaison teams to prevent escalation, even as each disputes the other’s account of what is happening on the ground.
There was no independent confirmation of Tuesday’s reported exchange in Sisaket. Both sides said they remain committed to dialogue under the ceasefire framework, but the latest dispute underscores how fragile the December agreement remains amid competing claims and on-the-ground complexities.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
