Thailand on Saturday said Cambodian forces killed four Thai soldiers amid continuing clashes along the disputed border, even as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that a ceasefire had been agreed to end days of deadly fighting.The Thai defence ministry said the soldiers were killed in border areas on Saturday, taking the death toll from the latest escalation to at least 24 this week, reported AFP.
The violence has displaced around 500,000 people on both sides of the Thailand-Cambodia border, which stretches over 800 kilometres and has long been contested due to colonial-era demarcation disputes.Trump earlier claimed that a truce had been reached following phone calls with Anutin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Friday. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord” reached in July.However, Anutin denied that any such agreement was discussed. Trump “didn’t mention whether we should make a ceasefire” during the call, the Thai prime minister told journalists on Saturday, adding that the two leaders “didn’t discuss” the issue. Both Bangkok and Phnom Penh accused each other of reigniting hostilities. Thailand’s army said six people were wounded on Saturday by Cambodian rocket fire, while Cambodia’s information minister Neth Pheaktra accused Thai forces of expanding attacks to civilian infrastructure and civilians.A Thai navy spokesperson said the air force had “successfully destroyed” two Cambodian bridges allegedly used to transport weapons to the conflict zone.The United States, China and Malaysia – current chair of ASEAN – had brokered a ceasefire in July after an initial five-day bout of fighting. In October, Trump backed a follow-up joint declaration between the two countries, promoting new trade deals after they agreed to extend the truce. Thailand later suspended that agreement after its soldiers were injured by landmines near the border.Displaced civilians on both sides expressed scepticism about renewed peace efforts. In Thailand’s Buriram province, evacuee Kanyapat Saopria said she does not “trust Cambodia anymore”. “The last round of peace efforts didn’t work out… I don’t know if this one will either,” the 39-year-old told AFP.Across the border, Cambodian evacuee Vy Rina, 43, said she was “sad” that fighting had not stopped despite Trump’s intervention. “I am not happy with brutal acts,” she said.Anutin said Thailand would “continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people”, adding that “the one who violated the agreement needs to fix (the situation)”. Hun Manet, meanwhile, said Cambodia “has always been adhering to peaceful means for dispute resolutions”.
