Phnom Penh

The fragile truce between Thailand and Cambodia lay in ruins as border clashes entered their fourth consecutive day on Thursday, with both nations trading accusations of violating international law while awaiting a promised intervention call from US President Donald Trump, Al Jazeera reported.

Cambodia accused Thai soldiers of breaching international humanitarian law by firing on civilians in Prey Chan village in Banteay Meanchey province. It further alleged that Thai forces shelled the Khnar Temple area and launched artillery and support fire into the O’Smach area, according to the report.

Clashes were reported on Wednesday at more than a dozen locations along the disputed 817-kilometre (508-mile) border, demarcated during the colonial era. Some of the fighting was described as the most intense since a five-day confrontation in July that left dozens dead on both sides, Al Jazeera said.

Cambodia’s Ministry of the Interior stated that homes, schools, roads, Buddhist pagodas, and ancient temples suffered damage due to “Thailand's intensified shelling and F-16 air strikes targeting villages and civilian population centres up to 30 km [18.6 miles] inside Cambodian territory.”

In a separate statement, the Defence Ministry urged Thailand to “immediately stop all hostile activities and withdraw its forces from Cambodia's territorial integrity, and avoid acts of aggression that threaten peace and stability in the region.”

The latest hostilities mark the deadliest escalation since July, when five days of fighting killed dozens and displaced nearly 300,000 civilians on both sides. The violence had halted only after a mediated ceasefire led by US President Donald Trump.

Trump said on Tuesday that he would once again intervene.

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“I am going to have to make a phone call. Who else could say I'm going to make a phone call and stop a war of two very powerful countries, Thailand and Cambodia,” he told supporters at a rally in Pennsylvania.