Cambodia’s prime minister said Wednesday that a villager was killed when gunfire broke out along the country’s border with Thailand, signaling a possible collapse of a fragile ceasefire partly brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year.
The reported death in Banteay Meanchey province came two days after a Thai soldier lost a foot to a land mine in another border area. Thailand accused Cambodia of planting the explosive and said it was suspending compliance with the July 28 ceasefire that ended five days of deadly fighting.
In a post on Telegram, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Thai troops “opened fire on civilians,” killing one and wounding three others in Prey Chan village. He accused Thai forces of “provocative actions” aimed at reigniting conflict but said Cambodia remains committed to the truce.
Thailand’s military denied the claim, saying Cambodian soldiers had fired first into Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, prompting Thai troops to return warning shots. The exchange lasted about 10 minutes, with no Thai casualties reported.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said earlier this week that Cambodia had “delayed progress” on the ceasefire terms, declaring the peace deal “over,” though officials later clarified that Thailand had only paused its implementation.
The two Southeast Asian neighbors have long disputed parts of their shared border, stemming from a 1907 colonial-era map drawn when Cambodia was under French rule. The International Court of Justice awarded Cambodia sovereignty over the area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple in 1962 — a ruling that still fuels resentment among Thais.