Cambodia, Thai Troops Exchange Fire for 2nd Day, 1 Killed

5 February 2011 -- Kyodo

Phnom Penh/bangkok, Feb. 5 Kyodo -- (EDS: ADDING INFO AT 9TH GRAF) Cambodian and Thai troops exchanged fire near a temple in a disputed border area for the second consecutive day Saturday morning, with at least one Thai soldier killed.

Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, spokesman for the Royal Thai Army, said in Bangkok that one Thai soldier was killed and four others wounded during the renewed clashes which erupted shortly after sunrise and lasted about half an hour. He said four troops had been wounded Friday and one villager killed.

Meanwhile, Chhum Socheat, spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, told Kyodo News the exchange of fire began at 6:15 a.m. and ended at 7 a.m. at Mt. Phnom Troap, about 2 kilometers west of Preah Vihear Temple, one of the spots where fighting erupted Friday.

He said no casualties were reported from the Cambodian side in the latest incident, adding one Thai soldier was captured after four were taken prisoner in the earlier clashes, which began Friday afternoon.

The Cambodian spokesman said the second round of clashes happened after about 100 Thai troops moved into the area again and opened fire with rifles and mortars.

Thai military spokesman Sansern said Cambodian troops had started firing toward Thai troops who defended themselves as well as Thailand's territorial integrity. He denied any Thai soldiers were captured.

Gen. Chea Dara, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, told Kyodo News later Saturday by phone from Preah Vihear Province that two Cambodian soldiers and a civilian were killed and 12 others injured during the two clashes. On the Thai side, a total of 23 died and several dozen others were injured, he said.

A meeting between army regional leaders of the two countries is scheduled to be held Saturday morning at Sa-ngam border pass in an attempt to resolve the ongoing conflict, according to Sansern. The Thai side will be represented by Lt. Gen. Thawatchai Samutsakhon, chief of the Second Army Area Command responsible for the area bordering Cambodia, and the Cambodian delegation will be led by Lt. Gen. Chea Mon.