Tension has resurfaced along the Thailand-Cambodia border after Thailand’s military said it returned fire following what it described as a grenade attack by Cambodian troops. Cambodia has strongly denied the claim.

 

According to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Thai army said Cambodian forces fired a 40mm grenade round near a Thai patrol in Sisaket province on February 24. The Thai military said its soldiers responded in line with rules of engagement, using an M79 grenade launcher in what it described as a warning and self-defence action.

 

Thai army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said the incident violated a ceasefire agreement signed in late December, which ended three weeks of heavy fighting between the two Southeast Asian neighbours. No Thai soldiers were injured in the incident, the army confirmed.

 

However, Cambodia rejected the accusation. AFP reported that Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra described Thailand’s claims as “entirely false” and said they were intended to provoke tension. He maintained that Cambodian forces did not fire any weapons.

 

Cambodia’s defence ministry spokeswoman, Maly Socheata, said liaison teams from both countries held discussions after reports of explosions were heard on the Thai side. She stated that Cambodian officials informed their Thai counterparts that no shots were fired by their troops.

 

The renewed accusations come barely two months after both countries agreed to stop fighting. Under the December truce, Thailand and Cambodia pledged to cease fire, freeze troop movements and cooperate on demining operations along their shared frontier.

 

The two nations have been locked in a long-running border dispute rooted in disagreements over French colonial-era boundary demarcations. Their 800-kilometre border has seen sporadic clashes over the years.

 

According to AFP, the dispute escalated sharply last year, with clashes in July and December reportedly killing dozens and displacing more than a million people.

 

In January, Thailand accused Cambodia of firing mortars that wounded a Thai soldier, while Cambodia claimed an explosion on its side was caused by a pile of garbage, injuring two of its own troops.

 

Despite the December ceasefire, both sides continue to accuse each other of violating the agreement. Cambodia has alleged that Thai forces seized areas in disputed border provinces, a claim Bangkok denies, insisting it merely reclaimed territory it considers its own.

 

While no casualties were reported in Monday’s incident, the exchange underscores the fragility of the truce and the unresolved nature of the border dispute. The situation remains tense as both governments stand firm on their positions.