By Trefor Moss
20 October 2008
Thai and Cambodian troops fought an hour-long battle along their shared border on 15 October, as a four-month standoff over a disputed temple complex threatened to escalate into a serious border conflict.
The Thai government reacted to the clash by advising its citizens to leave Cambodia immediately for fear of reprisals, while Phnom Penh warned that the situation could lead to "large-scale armed hostilities".
Cambodia said that two of its troops had been killed and seven wounded in the exchange at the Preah Vihear temple, while Thailand reported five soldiers injured. The Thai military denied Cambodian claims that 10 of its soldiers had been taken prisoner.
Both sides accused the other of firing first. A spokesperson for the Thai embassy in London told Jane's that Thai soldiers were conducting "a routine patrol of the area inside Thai territory when they were fired upon by RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades] and machine guns". However, the Cambodian embassy described the events as "armed provocations by Thailand" and accused Thai soldiers of launching "heavy armed attacks" to dislodge Cambodian troops from positions within their own territory.
A spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged "both parties to exercise utmost restraint" and "to expedite bilateral talks".
Image: Cambodian soldiers patrol the road leading to Preah Vihear temple on 16 October (PA Photos)
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