Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia resumes at disputed border despite cease-fire

BANGKOK — Fighting erupted Sunday between soldiers along Cambodia's disputed border with Thailand near an 11th century temple for a third day, shattering a shaky cease-fire.

A Cambodian soldier at the front line, Lt. Pen Song, said troops exchanged artillery and mortar fire along the Phnom Troap mountain range, about 3 kilometers from the historic Preah Vihear temple, a U.N. World Heritage Site that belongs to Cambodia under a 1962 World Court ruling disputed by many Thais.

A Thai official in the border area, Nakorn Siripanyanant, confirmed that clashes had resumed Sunday evening and said some villagers who had returned to their homes were again evacuated.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The renewed fighting started just hours after commanders stationed on both sides of the border met Sunday afternoon and said they would continue to respect a Saturday cease-fire and pledges not to deploy more troops to the area.

The fiercest border clashes in years erupted Friday and Saturday between troops along the border. Sporadic artillery fire in those clashes left at least five people dead — one civilian and one soldier from Thailand and one civilian and two soldiers from Cambodia.

Both sides have blamed each other for the fighting, which also caused minor damage to the Preah Vihear temple near a strip of disputed land that Thai nationalists have seized on as a domestic political issue.

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhsit Vejjajiva called earlier Sunday for a peaceful solution to the border dispute, but warned that Thai soldiers would defend national sovereignty if attacked.

"I insist that the dispute on the border issues must be solved through nonviolent means," Abhisit Vejjajvia said in his weekly Sunday address to the nation. "Thailand never thought of invading anyone, but if our sovereignty is violated, we have to protect it ultimately."

Tensions between the Southeast Asian nations have risen in recent days because of demonstrations in the Thai capital, Bangkok, demanding that the government oust Cambodians from land near the Preah Vihear temple.

Sopheng Cheang reported from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.