Former Cambodian leader Hun Sen says his country retaliated against Thai attacks after a 24-hour pause, contradicting earlier military denials
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s influential former leader Hun Sen said his country had retaliated in reignited border clashes with neighbour Thailand.
The Senate president made the statement in a Facebook post, contradicting Phnom Penh’s earlier two-day denial that its forces had fired back.
“After being patient for more than 24 hours in order to respect the ceasefire and for time to evacuate people to safety, yesterday evening we retaliated with more (responses) last night and this morning,” Hun Sen wrote.
He instructed troops to “implement the strategy to destroy the enemy forces”.
“Our forces must fight at all points that the enemy has attacked,” he added.
Cambodia’s defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata had maintained on Monday that Cambodian forces had not retaliated against Thai attacks.
Renewed combat this week has killed six Cambodian civilians and a Thai soldier, and wounded more than 20 others.
The two countries have blamed each other for the fresh fighting, which saw Thailand launch air strikes and use tanks on Monday.
Five days of combat this summer between the two Southeast Asian nations killed 43 people and displaced around 300,000 on both sides of the border before a truce took effect. – AFP
