Ceasefire talks continue, Thailand bombs Cambodian border area

Thailand launched airstrikes on disputed border areas with Cambodia on Friday as officials from both sides continued talks to try to end the fighting.

The Thai air force said it struck a “fortified military position” in Cambodia after civilians left the area. The Cambodian Defense Ministry accused Thailand of “indiscriminate attacks” on civilian houses, injuring many.

A fragile ceasefire in July ended five days of fierce border clashes, and fighting broke out again earlier this month.

Since hostilities resumed, at least 41 people have been killed and nearly one million people have been displaced.

Both countries blame each other for the breakdown of the armistice.

Since then, fighting has spread to nearly every province along the 500-mile (800-kilometer) border.

Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said Friday’s attack occurred in the northwest province of Banteay Meanchey. The Defense Department said in a Facebook post that F-16 fighter jets dropped as many as 40 bombs.

Thailand said the operation was aimed at controlling Nong Chan village and was “implemented efficiently and successfully”.

Thai and Cambodian negotiators held a third day of talks at a border checkpoint. Defense ministers from both sides will take part in discussions on Saturday.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Chanvirakul said on Friday that a ceasefire agreement could be signed once both sides agree on each other’s terms.

“I hope this time is the last agreement we have to sign so that there can be peace in the region and people can return to their homes,” he said.

The United States and China have also been trying to broker a new ceasefire.

The dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, with occasional clashes over the years resulting in the killing of soldiers and civilians.

But tensions increased after a Cambodian soldier was killed in clashes in May. On July 24, Cambodian rockets attacked Thailand, followed by Thai air strikes, and the situation escalated sharply. This triggered five days of fierce fighting that left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead.