A Thai drone exploded over Preah Vihear province Sunday morning, spreading its debris well inside Cambodian territory, according to local officials.
Major Chhour Bunnsong, military police chief of Choam Ksan district, said the explosion occurred at 10:43 a.m. and that some of the nine pieces of debris recovered so far, measuring more than 1 meter in length, were found up to 18 km inside Cambodia from the Thai border.
“We spent four hours searching for the debris of the drone that exploded today and we found two pieces in Sa Em Khang Choeung village and another seven pieces in Thomacheat Samdech Decho village, but no villager was hurt,” he said.
Colonel Pich Sinhuot, deputy military police chief for the province, confirmed the explosion of a Thai drone over Cambodia and said it was the fourth crash or explosion of a drone in Preah Vihear he could recall.
A spokesman for the Thai Army could not be reached for comment. Cambodia and Thailand have fought several brief but deadly battles over disputed territory along Preah Vihear’s border with Thailand.
The border remains disputed but has been peaceful since the last outbreak of fighting in 2011.
