Defence ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata has decried the misrepresentation of facts concerning an accidental discharge near the border. - Photo: Defence ministry
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia soldiers accidentally loosed two rounds from a firearm at 1.20pm on Tuesday (Sept 23), according to Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Maly Socheata.
She was responding to Thai media claims that the shots were deliberate and aimed at provoking a response from Thai forces.
Socheata explained that the official social media page of the Thai military and several Thai media outlets accused Cambodian forces of firing three to five small calibre rounds into Thailand.
“The ministry would like to highlight that Cambodian forces did not use weapons to fire into Thai territory as claimed above. According to information received from Military Region 4, it was confirmed that a unit stationed in that area accidentally fired two shots at 1.20pm,” she said.
Socheata noted that at 2.16pm, the communications teams of both nations were in contact with each other, and the matter had been resolved.
She reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to cooperating with Thailand at all levels in order to promote peace, stability, cooperation and development for the benefit of both countries.
“Cambodian forces reaffirm their full and unwavering commitment to the ceasefire agreement between the Cambodian and Thai militaries, which was reached in Putrajaya, Malaysia on July 28,” she said. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
