SURIN, April 25 – A Thai soldier was killed in a clash between Thai and Cambodian troops at border in the northeastern province of Surin on Sunday night, raising to five the death toll of Thai military in the current skirmishing which began Friday.
Gunfire was heard from 9pm Sunday to around 3am Monday, according to villagers in Phanom Dong Rak district, but no artillery shells landed on the Thai side and there were no reports of heavy weapons being used during the clash.
One Thai soldier was shot dead, raising the total death toll to five and the cumulative number of wounded Thai soldiers to 35.
About 25,000 border area residents in Surin and about 4,500 others in Buri Ram moved from their homes to temporary shelters.
Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul is scheduled to visit villagers at a shelter in Surin‘s Prasat district Monday morning to boost the morale of local officials and residents.
The renewed border clash between Thai and Cambodian troops occurred near the Ta Kwai temple and Ta Muan Thom temple in Surin on Friday morning. Sporadic clashes were reported since then as border demarcation remains a dispute of the two neigbouring countries despite attempts to resolve the problem through meetings of joint commissions at several levels. (MCOT online news)
