Cambodia frees Thai soldier captured during cross border clash

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Feb 8 -- Cambodia on Tuesday handed over a Thai soldier captured during the cross border clash between Thai and Cambodian troops on Saturday morning near the Preah Vihear Temple back to the Thai authorities in Phnom Penh following a request by the Thai Defence Ministry.

Lt Gen Nim Sovath, chief of the Defence Ministry's Department of Politics and Foreign Affairs, witnessed the handover of Pte Songkran Thongchompoo who was captured by Cambodian troops during Saturday's clash to Col Direk Bongkarn, military attache at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.

The hand-over was held at the Cambodian Ministry of Defence.

It was also witnessed by military attaches from Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, the UK and the US.

Pte Songkran would then return to Thailand via the Poi Pet-Aranyaprathet checkpoint at Sa Kaeo province and is expected to arrive Thailand at 6pm.

There was no fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops overnight.

Since the fighting erupted Friday, one Thai soldier was killed, 25 were wounded and one civilian died in the clashes. (MCOT online news)