AGENCIES

Thailand announced a curfew in its southeastern Trat province yesterday as fighting with Cambodia spread to coastal areas of a disputed border region, two days after US President and would-be peacemaker Donald Trump said the sides had agreed to stop.

“Overall, there have been clashes continuously” since Cambodia again reiterated its openness to a ceasefire on Saturday, Thai Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri told a press conference in Bangkok after announcing the curfew.

Thailand is open to a diplomatic solution but “Cambodia has to cease hostility first before we can negotiate,” he said.

Thailand’s health ministry told AFP a civilian had been killed yesterday during border clashes with Cambodia, the country’s first non-military death since the long-standing conflict reignited in fighting this month.

At least 26 people have been killed, including 14 Thai soldiers, one civilian and 11 Cambodian civilians, officials said.

Thai forces on Saturday said they had destroyed a bridge that Cambodia used to deliver heavy weapons and other equipment to the region and launched an operation targeting pre-positioned artillery in Cambodia’s coastal Koh Kong province.