Bangkok: Thailand’s military accused Cambodian forces on Wednesday of breaching a ceasefire agreement at three separate locations along the disputed border, warning that continued aggression could compel Thai forces to respond more decisively.

According to TRTworld.com, the allegations come less than two days after both governments agreed to a ceasefire brokered in Malaysia, which came into effect at midnight on Monday. The agreement aimed to stop fighting in their deadliest conflict in more than a decade following five days of intense fighting that killed at least 43 people and displaced over 300,000 civilians on either side.

On Wednesday, Thailand reported that Cambodian forces fired on positions in northeastern Thailand’s Sisaket province along Cambodia’s northern border. Thai army spokesman Major-General Winthai Suvaree stated, “Cambodian forces used small arms and grenade launchers, prompting Thailand to respond in self-defence.” He further added that this was the second incident since the agreement and indicated non-compliance with the ceasefire, which undermines de-escalation efforts and hampers trust between the two countries.

Cambodia rejected the allegations, asserting its commitment to the ceasefire and calling for international observers. Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chum Sounry stated at a press conference, “Cambodia strongly rejects the ceasefire accusations as false, misleading and harmful to the fragile trust-building process.” He added that the Cambodian government supports a monitoring mechanism and independent observation to ensure compliance.

The ceasefire agreement, which also includes a halt to troop movements, sets the stage for a high-level military meeting involving defence ministers scheduled for August 4 in Cambodia. While there have been no reports of heavy artillery exchanges, there are also no indications of troop withdrawals by either side.