A gunbattle erupted Wednesday near Preah Vihear temple, resulting in the deaths of two RCAF soldiers, according to Cambodian officials. Also, 10 Thai soldiers were captured near the temple and are being held by RCAF, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong.
Following the fighting, which an official at the border said lasted about an hour, Thailand and Cambodia traded blame over who had initiated the skirmish and breached agreements made at several bilateral meetings since the border standoff began exactly three months ago.
“[Wednesday at 2:15 pm] Thai troops launched heavy armed attacks upon the Cambodian troops… in an apparent attempt to force the Cambodian troops out of their present positions inside Cambodian territory,” read a letter from the Cambodian Foreign Affairs Ministry to its Thai counterpart.
Two RCAF soldiers were killed and three injured, according to the statement. Fighting occurred at three points, the statement said: the pagoda near the Preah Vihear temple, where Hor Namhong told reporters that the two soldiers were killed; Veal Intry, or “Eagle Field,” an area just west of the temple that both Thailand and Cambodia claim as their own; and Phnom Trap, a hill about 4 km west of the temple.
These points of conflict lay 700 .meters, 1,120 meters and 1,600 meters, respectively, inside Cambodian territory, the statement said.
Thailand had a different version of events:
“Thai soldiers, while peacefully patrolling the area along the Thai-Cambodian border inside Thai territory…were shot at by Cambodian soldiers using RPG and sub-machine guns, which resulted in the injuries of five Thai soldiers,” read a letter from the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry to its Cambodian counterpart.
