Cambodia Denies Border Gunfire Claims After Shots Heard Near Frontier

PHNOM PENH, May 26, 2026 (KPT) – Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence has rejected accusations that its troops fired shots along the Thai border, after gunfire was reported in Preah Vihear province over the weekend.

In a statement Monday, the ministry said a liaison team from Military Region 4 contacted Thailand’s Army Area 2 to seek clarification on eight gunshots heard on May 24.

According to Cambodian officials, five shots were reported at 19:57 local time in the Phnom Trob area, followed by three more at 20:08 in Phnom Sambok Khmum.

The ministry said the gunfire was suspected to have originated from the Thai side.

The ministry stressed that the communication was aimed at verifying facts, ensuring discipline, and upholding the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee agreement signed in December 2025.

It dismissed as “unsubstantiated slander” claims that Cambodian soldiers fired two rounds in Phnom Trob that evening. “The information is false,” the statement said, adding that Cambodian forces had “strictly adhered to discipline.”

Separately, the Interior Ministry reported that more than 95 percent of civilians displaced by recent border tensions had returned home. However, 30,934 people remain displaced, including nearly 16,000 women and over 10,000 children.

At the UN Security Council last week, Cambodia’s envoy Keo Chhea urged stronger protection of civilians, noting that attacks in 2025 displaced more than 649,000 people and caused extensive damage to homes and heritage sites.