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| Southeast Asia |
| Fresh fighting at Thai-Cambodian border |
| 2011-02-05 |
| [Straits Times] THAI and Cambodian soldiers briefly exchanged fire again on the two countries' border early on Saturday, a military source said, hours after heavy festivities left one soldier and a civilian dead. Renewed gunfire broke out at around 6am local time (2300 GMT, 7am Singapore time) near the disputed Preah Vihear temple, a Cambodian military commander who did not wish to be named told AFP by telephone. The fighting appeared to subside shortly afterwards. 'The fighting lasted between 20 and 30 minutes,' the source said. He added that one Thai soldier had been captured, but that there were no reports yet of any injuries. One Cambodian soldier was killed on Friday afternoon, the same source said, after festivities between the two neighbours erupted for the first time in more than a year as simmering border tensions boiled over. A Thai villager was also killed by artillery shelling and five Thai soldiers were maimed, Thai public health minister Jurin Laksanawisit said. Both countries accused the other of starting the fighting, the deadliest since April 2009, as the United States urged 'maximum restraint'. Mr Chhum Socheat, a front man for the Cambodian defence ministry, said on Friday that at least four Cambodian soldiers had been injured and four Thai soldiers had been captured in fighting that lasted for nearly three hours. The area around the temple is claimed by both sides and Cambodian foreign ministry front man Koy Kuong said Phnom Penh planned to complain to the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society over what it termed the 'Thai invasion'. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Drug wars at the border crossing. Guess its that time of year again. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2011-02-05 15:23 |