Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Thai-Cambodia troops trade fire

Thai and Cambodia troops briefly clashed Tuesday near Preah Vihear temple, about 150 km away from where they have fought for the past four days, raising concern the conflict could spread to other poorly demarcated border areas.Thai army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the two sides battled with short-range rockets and guns for about 30 minutes near the 11th-century Hindu temple, which sits on a jungle-clad escarpment claimed by both Southeast Asian neighbours.We are keeping it contained to a small area,’ he said, describing the confrontation as a ‘misunderstanding.’ Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said Thai fighter jets fired into Cambodian territory near the temple. ‘A fighter jet flew over and just started shelling,’ he said.The neighbours had been exchanging sporadic fire in another area of the border near the 12th-century Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples, where at least 13 people have been killed since Friday and more than 50,000 evacuated.Preah Vihear, scene of intense fighting on February 4-7 that killed 11 soldiers and wounded scores, has been a source of tension for generations and the two countries have been locked in a standoff since July 2008, when Preah Vihear was granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

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