DPA
Phnom Penh - Thailand violated Cambodian airspace hours before a border skirmish erupted on Wednesday, Cambodian officials said.
Cambodian and Thai soldiers on Wednesday exchanged gunfire in a disputed zone near the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border called Eagle Field, or Eagle Terrace, 300 kilometers north of the Cambodian capital, which is an important strategic point for access to Preah Vihear.
'The Thai injuries were worse, but there were casualties on both sides,' the director-general of Cambodia's Preah Vihear authority, which oversees the site, said by telephone.
'The Thai fighter jet came 8:50 am and again at 10.07 am to disturb our airspace. Cambodian soldiers wanted to fight then, but they were placated for a while.
'I do not know why fighting happened at 2.15 until 3.30 pm because I was not there,' the head of Cambodia's Preah Vihear authority, Hang Soth, said by telephone from a meeting in Phnom Penh.
He said there were casualties on both sides, but that the Thai side had borne the brunt of duel M-79, B-40 and AK-47 exchanges.
Cambodian authorities said all civilians had fled the area and it was now regarded by both sides as a conflict zone.
The Wednesday shoot-out at Eagle Terrage is important to the ongoing dispute over the Preah Vihear temple because whoever controls that area controls access to the temple, which is sacred to both sides.
A similar clash at the same site on October 3 left two Thai soldiers and one Cambodian wounded.
Cambodian and Thai soldiers on Wednesday exchanged gunfire in a disputed zone near the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border called Eagle Field, or Eagle Terrace, 300 kilometers north of the Cambodian capital, which is an important strategic point for access to Preah Vihear.
'The Thai injuries were worse, but there were casualties on both sides,' the director-general of Cambodia's Preah Vihear authority, which oversees the site, said by telephone.
'The Thai fighter jet came 8:50 am and again at 10.07 am to disturb our airspace. Cambodian soldiers wanted to fight then, but they were placated for a while.
'I do not know why fighting happened at 2.15 until 3.30 pm because I was not there,' the head of Cambodia's Preah Vihear authority, Hang Soth, said by telephone from a meeting in Phnom Penh.
He said there were casualties on both sides, but that the Thai side had borne the brunt of duel M-79, B-40 and AK-47 exchanges.
Cambodian authorities said all civilians had fled the area and it was now regarded by both sides as a conflict zone.
The Wednesday shoot-out at Eagle Terrage is important to the ongoing dispute over the Preah Vihear temple because whoever controls that area controls access to the temple, which is sacred to both sides.
A similar clash at the same site on October 3 left two Thai soldiers and one Cambodian wounded.
7 comments:
Cambodian government should bring this issue up to the international community / UN to witness and shot down this agression / invasion from Thais on Cambodian territory.
Thai soldiers already planned the shootout that is why they flew twice their fighting airplanes over Cambodia's airspace to observe Khmer soldiers. We knew who provoked this confict.
let's bring down the enemy jets. Don't take hostage. Finish them off.
Watch out hun sen!. The thai air force may drop their bomb into your commamd and control compound, your villas.
Watch out hun sen!. The thai air force may drop their bomb into your commamd and control compound, your villas.
At this point make sure we are preparing for any bigger Siam aggression.
Secondly bringing international communities and our allies to weigh steps to diplomatically isolate Bangkok as punishment for start-up violence and the conflict just followed the inscription at Cambodia's request of Preah Vihear temple on a Unesco list of World Heritage sites in July/2008.
Make the world understand we want pace by using local and international media.... This is the time we are all should get together for one voice.....
In cambodia, can you tell me are khmer people afraid of thai invader or hun sen murderer?. There are so many khmer people living around phnom pemh are about to be kick out of their houses. I know for sure they are afraid of murderer mafia hun sen government.
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