A Cambodian official accused Thailand of destroying a statue of the Hindu god Vishnu in a disputed border area, after more than two weeks of military clashes between the neighbours.
Kim Chanpanha, a government spokesman in the border province of Preah Vihear, said that the statue, built in 2014, “was inside our territory in the An Ses area”.
He said the demolition occurred on Monday about 100 metres (328 feet) from the border with Thailand.
A Google Maps search showed the statue’s location was around 400 metres from the border line.
“We condemn the destruction of ancient temples and statues that are worshipped by Buddhist and Hindu followers,” Chanpanha said.
A spokesperson for the Thai army has not replied to a request for comment.
The nations’ long-standing border conflict reignited this month, killing more than 40 people and displacing around a million, according to official counts.
Each side has blamed the other for instigating the fresh fighting, and they have traded accusations of attacks on civilians.
Cambodia has repeatedly alleged that Thai forces have damaged temple ruins along the border during the clashes, with Bangkok saying that Phnom Penh was positioning soldiers at the centuries-old stone structures.
Videos showing the demolition of the Vishnu statue using a back-hoe loader circulated on Thai social media pages and in local media on Monday.
AFP analysed the footage using AI-detection tools, which found no signs of AI manipulation.
One post featuring the video clip, by a pro-Indian X account, racked up more than two million views by Wednesday.
India’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that “such disrespectful acts hurt the sentiments of followers around the world, and should not take place.”
New Delhi called on the warring sides to “return to dialogue and diplomacy, to resume peace and avoid any further loss of lives, and damage to property and heritage”.
Cambodian and Thai officials began on Wednesday their latest round of talks, meeting at a border checkpoint in Thailand’s Chanthaburi province.
The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border and a smattering of ancient temple ruins situated on the frontier.
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