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Thai, Cambodian troops exchange fire at disputed border amid fresh escalations
Thai soldiers stand guard overlooking the Moei river on the Thai side near the Tak border checkpoint with Myanmar in Thailand's Mae Sot district. File image/ AFP
Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged gunfire early Thursday at a disputed border point near the ancient temple site of Prasat Ta Muen Thom in Thailand's Surin province, further heightening tensions between the two neighbours.
The Thai army said Cambodian forces fired the first shots after a drone was spotted and six armed Cambodian soldiers approached a Thai military post.
The clash came shortly after Thailand expelled Cambodia's ambassador over a landmine blast that injured five of its soldiers.
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In response, Cambodia downgraded diplomatic ties and recalled its diplomats from Bangkok.
The border standoff began in late May when a gunfight in the disputed area left one Cambodian soldier dead. Tensions have since escalated, with both sides deploying more troops along the frontier and restricting key land crossings crucial for trade.
Earlier as well, the Thai army claimed Cambodian forces opened fire near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple after deploying a surveillance drone and sending heavily armed troops to the area.
In response, Cambodia's defence ministry accused Thai soldiers of an unprovoked incursion, saying its troops returned fire in self-defence.
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