Deminers outline cluster bomb plan. Saem Ponnreay, CMAC Unit 3 director in Sa Em village in Preah Vihear province, displays the remains of a 155mm cluster bomb, which he claims was fired by the Thai military and landed in Svay Cherum village on February 6. michael hayes The Cambodian Mine Action Centre said today that it was deploying an “emergency response” team to Preah Vihear province following Thailand’s alleged use of cluster munitions during recent clashes in the area.
The government demining body said earlier this week that its staffers had discovered the controversial weapons in Cambodian territory near Preah Vihear temple following the clashes with Thailand that began last week, leaving at least eight people dead. Cluster bombs, launched from the ground or dropped from the air, split open before impact to scatter multiple bomblets over a wide area. UN chief seeks to end Thai-Cambodia border clashes. Asia-Pacific - Fresh clashes on Thai-Cambodia border. Thai-Cambodia border fighting enters fourth day. 7 February 2011Last updated at 01:22 ET Cambodian troops near the temple; the two sides blame each other for breaking the truce Cambodian and Thai troops have exchanged fire in a disputed border area for a fourth consecutive day.
Artillery and machine gun fire was heard around the 11th-Century Preah Vihear temple, which Cambodia says has already been damaged in the fighting. At least five people were killed in clashes over the weekend and thousands of civilians have fled the area. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on both sides to "exercise maximum restraint".