US President Donald Trump announced that he plans to hold a phone call with the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand to resolve the conflict.
The American leader noted to reporters at the White House that the conflict has been going on for many years.
“I've already resolved it once. I think I can do it relatively quickly. I believe we'll have a phone call with Thailand and Cambodia tomorrow. I think I can get them to stop the fighting,“ he said.
The new clashes between the two countries began on their border on December 7. The Royal Thai Army reported on Monday that Cambodian forces had begun shelling Thai positions in the border area early this morning. The Thai air force responded by attacking Cambodian military infrastructure. The Thai army said Cambodia had fired BM-21 missiles and kamikaze drones into Thai territory on Monday and Tuesday. Thai forces returned fire to gain control of key areas and inflict losses on the enemy. At least seven Cambodian and five Thai soldiers were reportedly killed in the fighting.
In October, Cambodian and Thai Prime Ministers Khun Manet and Anuthin Chanwirakhun signed a joint declaration in the presence of the US president on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN summit, outlining further steps to peacefully resolve the border conflict between the countries. The countries stressed their commitment to “facilitating de-escalation of tensions, rebuilding trust and building mutually beneficial relations“.