Thai soldiers suffer injuries from a landmine explosion in a border region with Cambodia, amid ongoing tension during the ceasefire period.
The Thai-Cambodia border has been the site of escalating tensions, with multiple landmine explosions injuring Thai soldiers and accusations of mine planting by Cambodia. The latest incident occurred on August 9, when three Thai soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion near the border.
The explosion took place during a security sweep to lay barbed wire in the Don Ao-Krissana border area in Si Sa Ket province. The incident was reported by the Thai Second Army Region's Operations Centre and Thai news outlets. The injured soldiers were taken to a local hospital, although the exact location of the hospital was not specified.
Thailand has accused Cambodia of violating ceasefire agreements and the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines, alleging covert planting of landmines along the border. At least four incidents have been reported in about a month. Cambodia, however, maintains that its army has been strictly respecting the spirit of the ceasefire.
The situation escalated further with armed clashes and aerial bombings in late July, causing fatalities, injuries, and large-scale evacuations. These conflicts have resulted in casualties on both sides and border closures.
In response to these escalations, urgent private meetings have been held at the UN Security Council to address the border clashes, aiming at de-escalation and peacekeeping. Cambodia and Thailand participated in these discussions, which focused on the recent violent incidents, casualties, and humanitarian impacts affecting over 130,000 displaced persons in Thailand.
Regarding mine clearance efforts, the Thai military has publicly demonstrated actions to remove anti-personnel mines, showing images of military engineers defusing mines near conflict zones. However, detailed ongoing cooperation or joint clearance initiatives between the two countries or third-party organizations have not been prominently reported in the latest updates.
The issue of mine clearance will be discussed at the upcoming Regional Border Committee meeting, according to Thailand's Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. He also stated that details of the incident will be sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be raised under the Ottawa Convention.
Maly Socheata, Cambodia's spokesperson for its National Defence Ministry, reported that the situation along the frontline in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces remained calm and stable up until 6am, according to Khmer Times. The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority issued a statement denying the laying of new mines.
These developments reflect a volatile and complex border dispute with ongoing security, diplomatic, and humanitarian challenges. The situation remains a concern for both countries and the international community, with calls for peace and cooperation to resolve the issue.
- The top stories this week include the ongoing war-and-conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, where the latest incident occurred on August 9 with a landmine explosion near the border, resulting in injuries to three Thai soldiers.
- In the general-news, there are reports of political discussions aimed at de-escalation and peacekeeping in the Thai-Cambodia border dispute, with the issue of mine clearance set to be discussed at an upcoming Regional Border Committee meeting.
