Thai, Cambodian clashes resume at disputed border
Fighting erupted yesterday between soldiers along Cambodia's disputed border with Thailand near an 11th century temple for a third day, shattering a shaky cease-fire.
A Cambodian soldier at the front line, Lt Pen Song, said troops exchanged artillery and mortar fire along the Phnom Troap mountain range, about 3 kilometers from the historic Preah Vihear temple, a UN World Heritage Site that belongs to Cambodia under a 1962 World Court ruling disputed by many Thais.
A Thai official in the border area, Nakorn Siripanyanant, confirmed that clashes had resumed yesterday evening and said some villagers who had returned to their homes were again evacuated.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The renewed fighting started just hours after commanders stationed on both sides of the border met yesterday afternoon and said they would continue to respect a Saturday cease-fire and pledges not to deploy more troops to the area.
The fiercest border clashes in years erupted Friday and Saturday between troops along the border. Sporadic artillery fire in those clashes left at least five people dead - one civilian and one soldier from Thailand and one civilian and two soldiers from Cambodia.
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