Thailand accused Cambodia of violating a 10-day-old ceasefire. The nation alleged that Cambodian forces fired mortars into a Thai border province, wounding one soldier.Thailand’s army said the incident took place on Tuesday morning in Ubon Ratchathani province, along the disputed border. In a statement, the army said, “Cambodia has violated the ceasefire,” accusing Cambodian forces of firing mortar rounds into Thai territory. It added that one Thai soldier was wounded by shrapnel and was being evacuated for medical treatment.The allegation comes despite a truce agreed on December 27, which was meant to end nearly three weeks of fighting between the two Southeast Asian neighbours. The ceasefire was signed after weeks of intense clashes that included fighter-jet sorties, rocket fire and artillery barrages, marking the worst fighting between the two countries in years.At the time of the agreement, the defence ministers of both countries said they would freeze troop movements along the border. In a joint statement, they said, “Both sides agree to maintain current troop deployments without further movement.” The statement warned that “any reinforcement would heighten tensions and negatively affect long-term efforts to resolve the situation,” according to CNN. The truce was signed by Thai defence minister Natthaphon Narkphanit and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Seiha, ending around 20 days of fighting that killed at least 101 people and displaced more than half a million civilians on both sides.The long-running conflict between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, with both countries contesting sovereignty at several undemarcated points along their 817-kilometre land border. While the dispute has simmered for decades, it has periodically erupted into violence.Tensions escalated again last year, with clashes in December killing dozens and forcing around one million people to flee their homes across border regions. The latest round of fighting was re-ignited in early December after the collapse of a previous ceasefire that had been brokered with the involvement of US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.The agreement had also included humanitarian steps, such as the return of displaced civilians and a pledge that neither side would use force against civilians. Thailand had also agreed to return 18 Cambodian soldiers captured during earlier clashes if the ceasefire held for 72 hours.
