Cambodia-Thailand border clash leaves three dead
Posted: 03 April 2009 2305 hrs

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PHNOM PENH : Cambodian and Thai troops fought heavy gunbattles on their disputed border Friday as months of tensions boiled over, leaving three soldiers dead just days before a key regional summit.

Soldiers traded rocket, machine-gun and mortar fire near an 11th-century Khmer temple on the frontier, following a brief exchange of shots earlier in the day, officials from both sides said.

The same area was the scene of several clashes last year after the Preah Vihear temple was granted United Nations world heritage status, with four soldiers killed in a battle in October.

"We are fighting with each other, it is serious gunfire. Two of our soldiers have been killed," Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said. "The gunfire is continuing in at least two areas," he added.

One Thai soldier was also killed and seven others were wounded in the clash, Seni Chittakasem, the governor of Thailand's eastern Si Sa Ket province, told AFP.

Military commanders later held talks to ease tensions, although a war of words continued between both sides over the flashpoint temple, which was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the International Court of Justice.

"This is an intended aggressive invasion by the Thai military," said Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong. "The foreign ministry will...write a protest letter about the invasion by Thailand."

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he was ready to call his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen about the matter but defended Bangkok's rights to "preserve our sovereignty."

"It was likely caused by a misunderstanding or accident. I have asked every agency to work to solve the incident by creating a better understanding with Cambodia," he said on his return from the G20 summit in London.

Cambodian and Thai authorities confirmed heavy gunfire had broken out at 2:00 pm (0700 GMT) in a number of spots near the border, which has never been fully demarcated due to landmines left after decades of war in Cambodia.

"We have occupied many areas now. The gunfire ended after about 35 minutes of fighting. We have won the fight now," Cambodian commander Bun Thean told AFP.

A Cambodian soldier posted at the border, Yeim Kheang, told AFP by telephone that a Cambodian market at the gateway to the temple had been badly burned during the fighting.

"We used heavy weapons including rockets, machine guns and mortars. In general, we used every weapon given to us. Many Thai soldiers ran away, leaving their weapons behind during the fight," Yeim Kheang said.

Tensions had been high since an exchange of shots early in the morning after Cambodian soldiers went to investigate the area where a Thai soldier stepped on a landmine on Thursday and lost his leg.

Both sides blamed each other for the first clash.

The exchange of fire came two days after Hun Sen warned Thailand that it would face fighting if its troops crossed their disputed frontier. Thailand denies claims that about 100 of its troops went over the frontier a week ago.

Tensions first flared along the border in July last year over the granting of UN heritage to the temple on the border.

Subsequent talks between Cambodia and Thailand have not resolved the dispute and Thailand's foreign minister was forced to apologise Thursday, after being accused by Hun Sen of calling him a gangster.

Hun Sen and Abhisit are both scheduled to take part in a summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and key regional partners in the Thai beach resort of Pattaya next week.

- AFP /ls