Cambodia's former Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that his country had “strike back“ during new clashes on the border with Thailand that began on Sunday evening, Agence France-Presse reported. This comes less than two months after a ceasefire agreement was signed, BTA reports.
“After showing patience for more than 24 hours to respect the ceasefire and shelter the population, last night we struck back“, Hun Sen wrote on “Facebook“.
“Our forces must fight wherever the enemy has attacked. "Now we are fighting again to defend ourselves," he added, calling on Cambodian troops to "destroy the enemy forces."
Cambodian authorities reported six new civilian casualties. The Thai military confirmed two more of its soldiers had been killed, bringing the total death toll since the start of the new hostilities to three.
In July, five days of ground and air fighting left 43 dead and forced an estimated 300,000 people on both sides of the border to flee their homes, AFP reports. On October 26, the two neighboring countries signed a ceasefire agreement under the auspices of US President Donald Trump, but its implementation has been suspended.
Both Cambodia and Thailand blame each other for the renewed fighting.