Reuters
Source: Reuters
A fierce border battle between Thailand and Cambodia raged for a second day and spread to new fronts on Tuesday, as both countries accused each other of shelling civilian areas and Bangkok vowed to push on with its planned military operations.
With the neighbours trading blame for starting Monday’s renewed clashes, it was unclear how or if a fragile ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump in July could be salvaged.
A top adviser to Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet late on Tuesday told Reuters his country was “ready to talk at any time”, but Thailand’s foreign minister in an interview said he saw no potential for negotiations, adding the situation was not conducive to third-party mediation.
Thai tanks fired shells into a border casino complex being used by Cambodia’s army as a weapons storage area, Thailand’s army said, as fighter jets carried out air strikes for a second day on what the air force said were strategic military targets.
Thailand has made clear its intent is to dent its neighbour’s ability to launch attacks, with a top general on Monday saying the army’s objective was to “cripple Cambodia’s military capability for a long time to come”.
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