Phnom Penh - Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said Monday that Thai troops had been turned back during an apparent attempted foray to view the area where two Thai soldiers were severely wounded by landmines just days earlier. Hor Namhong said he had received word of the brief standoff during his several-hour-long meeting with his Thai counterpart Sompong Amornviwat in the capital which focused on resolving a simmering border dispute.
The area where the two Thai soldiers were wounded last week was Cambodian, Hor Namhong told reporters in a press conference after the meeting, and Cambodian troops had denied Thai troops access.
The blast site lies around 2 kilometres east of the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
Hor Namhong said he had warned a general accompanying Sompong during the meeting that such advances into territory Cambodia maintains is sovereign and Thailand says is disputed placed additional strain on an already tense situation.
After the soldiers were injured, Thai media reports sourced to the Thai military accused Cambodia of planting new landmines to fortify its border since the beginning of the border dispute in July.
Cambodia has angrily denied the claims, saying Thai troops were warned the area was still only partially demined after its 30-year civil war, which ended barely a decade ago.
