Background
The Ministry of National Defence (MOD) of Cambodia issued an official statement on 14 May 2026 denying allegations published by several Thai media outlets that Cambodian forces fired M79 grenades at Thai military positions near Veal Intri opposite the Preah Vihear Temple area. The MOD’s public response included a formal protest letter to the Thai Joint Information Center (JIC) and cited frontline reports that three unexploded ordnance (UXO) items were detonated by the Thai side without prior notification.
Military Region liaison teams within the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces engage directly with neighboring forces to raise concerns and lodge formal protests about cross-border safety incidents. During ASEAN-led observation missions, the HOM AOT team conducts observation, verification and reporting at border sites such as the Preah Vihear Temple under the rotating ASEAN chairmanship.
Key Developments
On 14 May 2026 the MOD spokesperson publicly and categorically rejected the Thai media reports as baseless and lacking evidence. The MOD described the publications as deliberate misinformation that risks escalating tensions along the Cambodia–Thailand border, and requested immediate corrections from the outlets involved.
The MOD’s Command Post of Information issued a formal letter of protest to Thailand’s Joint Information Center (JIC). Separately, Military Region 4’s liaison (RBC) team contacted Thai counterparts to protest the reported unannounced detonation of three UXO items observed during the ASEAN observer mission under the Philippine chairmanship.
Institutional Role
The MOD serves as Cambodia’s central authority for military communications and cross-border incident coordination and uses military liaison teams to manage operational contacts with neighboring forces. The ASEAN Observer Team (HOM AOT) provides an institutional mechanism for third-party observation, verification and reporting around the Preah Vihear World Heritage site during periods of heightened border attention.
Operational Implications
The MOD statement and formal protests constitute documented interstate communications that may affect immediate operational coordination at the local level along the Preah Vihear sector. Reporting of UXO detonations without prior notice represents a specific operational concern that, according to the MOD notice, was communicated through existing military liaison channels to the Thai side.
Official Source
Ministry of National Defence (Cambodia) Facebook post and press release, 14 May 2026: https://www.facebook.com/Ministrydefence/posts/pfbid02XHKTZixyEVqioepB6j3cbCasWaUjGCaZE9gShymEsbHF774pY5nmuNy2zAdmLd5hl
