Over 12 killed in Thai-Cambodian Border Clash

Published : April 25, 2011 :: 13:04:50 [ 2,329 views ]

Over 12 killed in Thai-Cambodian Border Clash

After three days of heavy fighting, seven Cambodian and five Thai troops have died in exchange of artillery shells and small arms fire on their jungle frontier.

Officials also confirmed two more soldiers killed on each side yesterday.

A Thai army ranger was killed late yesterday, said a Thai military spokesman, Colonel Prawit Hookaew adding that more than 35 Thai soldiers were wounded.

One more Cambodian soldier was also killed late on Sunday, Cambodian field commander Suos Sothea said.

“One of our soldiers was shot dead by a Thai sniper last night… during a patrol,” he said.

He added that another Cambodian soldier had been missing since Friday. “We have not yet located him.”

On Monday Thai and Cambodian soldiers were locked in a tense standoff at the border but fighting appeared to have reduced since the gunfire that began on Friday.

About 25,000 border area residents in Surin and about 4,500 others in Buri Ram moved from their homes to temporary shelters.

Interior Minister, Chavarat Charnvirakul is scheduled to visit villagers at a shelter in Surin‘s Prasat district Monday morning to boost the morale of local officials and residents.

It is the first serious battle since February when 10 people were killed in border clashes near the Preah Vihear temple, prompting the UN Security Council to call for a ceasefire.

The latest fighting has been taking place near a different groups of temples about 150 kilometres (90 miles) away.

Thailand and Cambodia have fought a series of deadly gun battles in recent years in the jungle near the temple along the border, which has never been fully allocated, partly because it is scattered with landmines.

Credit by: www.news.com.au , www.mcot.net

Photo by: http://khmernz.blogspot.com