Thai border clashes kill four Cambodians

Border clashes killed four Cambodian civilians on Monday, Cambodia’s information minister told AFP, as Thailand launched air strikes on its neighbor in renewed fighting on the disputed frontier.

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“At least four Cambodian civilians were killed in the Thai attacks” in the border provinces of Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear, said Neth Pheaktra, adding that 10 other civilians were wounded.

Thailand launched air strikes on its neighbor Cambodia on Monday, the Thai army said, with both sides trading blame for the latest eruption of fighting on their disputed border, which has killed a Thai soldier.

Five days of combat between Thailand and Cambodia this summer killed 43 people and displaced around 300,000 on both sides of the border before a truce took effect.

But last month Thailand paused a follow-on deal backed by US President Donald Trump to wind down hostilities, saying a landmine blast at the border had wounded several soldiers.

Since then, Cambodian and Thai officials have reported sporadic skirmishes along their frontier, which reignited Sunday and Monday, sending thousands of civilians on both sides fleeing their homes.

“The village head told us to evacuate, and given what happened in July, I complied immediately,” said farmer Pannarat Woratham who lives just a few kilometers from the border in Thailand’s Surin province and evacuated Sunday afternoon to a temple sheltering the displaced.

It was the second time the 59-year-old had fled since late July when open combat was waged with fighter jets, missile strikes and ground troops, killing both civilians and soldiers.