Bangkok: Cambodia has announced the withdrawal of all its athletes from the Southeast Asian Games currently taking place in Thailand, citing 'safety concerns' amid ongoing border clashes between the two neighbors.
According to Anadolu Agency, the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) expressed gratitude to Thai sports authorities for their hospitality and support. However, officials noted that families of the athletes had urged the delegation's return due to security fears.
The withdrawal coincided with renewed accusations between Cambodia and Thailand on Wednesday, with each side alleging that the other had engaged in cross-border firing and bombing. Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata claimed that the Thai military initiated new attacks in Military Region 4, targeting areas around several temples, as reported by the state-run Agence Kampuchea Presse. She further alleged that a large number of Thai infantry troops, supported by tanks, advanced into specific areas and shelled a pagoda.
Additionally, the ministry claimed that Thai F-16 fighter jets flew over a village in Banteay Meanchey province, dropping two bombs. Thailand has not immediately responded to these accusations.
Conversely, the Thai military accused Cambodian forces of firing a rocket earlier on Wednesday that landed near Phanom Dong Rak Hospital, necessitating the evacuation of patients and medical personnel into a bunker, according to the Thai Enquirer.
In the wake of these developments, Cambodia has closed over 500 schools in five provinces bordering Thailand. Similarly, Thailand shut nearly 1,000 schools in border areas across six provinces, with some being used as emergency shelters due to mass displacement on both sides of the border.
Since the renewed border fighting began on Monday, at least 11 people have been reported dead, including seven civilians in Cambodia and four Thai soldiers. Bangkok reported 29 injured soldiers, while Cambodian authorities indicated that 20 civilians had been wounded. The Thai army confirmed that four soldiers had died and 29 were wounded since December 7.