Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged heavy fire on the two countries' shared border on Friday killing one soldier and a civilian, as tensions between the neighbours boiled over. One Cambodian soldier died in the skirmishes near the disputed ancient Preah Vihear temple, a Cambodian military commander on the scene who did not wish to be named told AFP by telephone.
A Thai villager was also killed by artillery shelling and five Thai soldiers were injured in the fighting, Thai public health minister Jurin Laksanawisit said. Chhum Socheat, a spokesman for the Cambodian defence ministry, said that four Cambodian soldiers had been injured and four Thai soldiers had been captured in fighting that lasted for nearly three hours. The area around the temple is claimed by both sides and Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said Phnom Penh planned to complain to the United Nations over what it termed the "Thai invasion".
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