HANOI, November 12. /TASS/. At least one person was killed and several others were wounded after Thai soldiers opened fire on Cambodian civilians in the border province of Banteay Meanchey, the Cambodian newspaper Khmer Times reported.
According to information from local authorities, the shooting occurred around 3.30 p.m. local time [8.30 a.m. GMT]. The provincial administration stated that Thai military personnel opened fire with live ammunition at the tents of civilians in the border village of Prey Chan, which is currently partly occupied by Thai troops. The publication noted that the authorities continue to closely follow the situation and are investigating all circumstances of the incident amid ongoing tensions along the Cambodia-Thailand border.
The incident occurred only one day after Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul unilaterally ordered an immediate suspension of a joint peace declaration with Cambodia, which was signed last month through the mediation of US President Donald Trump, after a landmine blast injured two Thai service members.
In October, the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia, Anutin Charnvirakul and Hun Manet, signed a peace deal in the presence of US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur. The document outlined further steps towards a peaceful settlement of border tensions between the two countries. The parties committed "to de-escalating tensions and restoring confidence and mutually beneficial relations" between the two countries. To achieve this goal, they agreed to "implement military de-escalation under the observation and verification of the ASEAN Observer Team, to include the removal of heavy and destructive weapons and equipment from the border and returning them back to their respective normal military installations."
Armed clashes broke out along the Cambodia-Thailand border near the disputed area in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey Province on July 24. On July 28, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced a ceasefire between Bangkok and Phnom Penh following talks in Kuala Lumpur. A number of incidents have occurred since then, most notably involving Thai troops stepping on landmines.