Thailand’s army on Monday accused Cambodia of violating a newly signed ceasefire deal by flying more than 250 drones into the neighbour’s airspace.
The ceasefire, which took effect at 12pm local time on Saturday, was intended to halt clashes that killed dozens of people and displaced more than a million this month. Under the agreement, both sides committed to stopping hostilities, freezing troop movements and allowing displaced civilians to return to border areas.
In a statement, the Thai military claimed “more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles were detected flying from the Cambodian side, intruding into Thailand’s sovereign territory” on Sunday night.
“Such actions constitute provocation and a violation of measures aimed at reducing tensions, which are inconsistent with the Joint Statement agreed” during a bilateral border committee meeting on Saturday, it added.
The military warned that the incident could affect commitments made under the ceasefire, including the planned release of Cambodian soldiers held by Thailand.
Thai army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said the alleged drone flights demonstrated “Cambodia's continued provocative actions and hostile stance toward Thailand”, warning they could pose risks to military personnel and civilians in border areas.
Cambodia rejected the suggestion the incident threatened the truce. Speaking on state television, foreign minister Prak Sokhonn described the matter as “a small issue related to flying drones seen by both sides along the border line”.
He said the two sides had discussed the matter and agreed to investigate and “resolve it immediately”.
Later, defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said Cambodian authorities had prohibited drone operations along the border.
“We confirm that no such drone launches have occurred,” she said in a statement.
The allegations came just as the foreign ministers of the two nations concluded talks mediated by Beijing in China’s Yunnan to support the ceasefire and improve bilateral relations.
A joint communique released by the Xinhua news agency after the talks said Thailand and Cambodia would work to “rebuild political mutual trust, achieve a turnaround in relations, and maintain regional peace”.
