Sunday, 5 October 2008

Thai, Cambodian troops clash over temple

Preah Vihear temple at Thai-Cambodia border

PRESS TV
Sat, 04 Oct 2008

Thai forces have clashed with Cambodian troops at a disputed border line as each country blames the other for starting the violence.

According to an AFP report, Cambodian officials have accused the Thai border patrol of trespassing on Cambodian territory, which led to clashes between border security forces from the two countries. The charge was swiftly rejected by Thai authorities.

Thailand's Foreign Ministry announced that the violence broke out when Cambodian troops entered Thailand, and ended in a summary gunfire exchange between the two countries. "They had encroached about one kilometer (more than half a mile) into Thai territory," reported a Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman.

At least two Thai soldiers and one Cambodian border security guard were injured in the incident. High-ranking military officials have temporarily settled the issue while the two neighbors engage in dialogue to try to resolve a decades-long border dispute.

Border tensions grew after UNESCO declared the ancient Khmer temple of Preah Vihear a world heritage site, causing nationalistic feelings to flare on each side of the Thai-Cambodia border over the possession of the temple.

ARQN/CW/RA

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