Thailand once more accuses Cambodia of planting land mines as 3 troopers are damage by blast alongside border

Three Thai troopers on patrol have been wounded Saturday (August 9, 2025) when one stepped on a land mine in territory alongside the border with Cambodia, Thailand’s military introduced.

The incident got here simply two days after the 2 nations reaffirmed their adherence to a ceasefire to finish a quick armed battle.

The Army’s assertion mentioned the incident befell in Thailand’s Sisaket province and “clearly demonstrates to each home and worldwide society that using hid weapons in border areas continues to exist, constituting a transparent violation of the Ottawa Convention by the Cambodian facet.”

The Ottawa Convention, additionally referred to as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, is a world settlement banning the weapons’ use, and each Thailand and Cambodia have dedicated to it.

An announcement from Thailand’s Foreign Ministry mentioned the incident confirmed the Thai Army’s findings “that new land mines are being laid in blatant violation of worldwide legislation.” It additionally famous this was the third such incident in lower than a month.

Five days of armed battle broke out final month, killing dozens of individuals on each side, together with civilians, and displacing greater than 260,000. The combating broke out a day after 5 Thai troopers have been wounded when one tripped an antipersonnel mine in disputed territory.

A ceasefire that took impact on July 29 ended main combating, although pressure remained excessive. The two nations on Thursday at a gathering in Malaysia dedicated to a 13-point settlement on implementing their truce.

The Thai Army assertion, citing its spokesperson Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree, charged that Saturday’s mine explosion constituted “a major impediment to the implementation of ceasefire measures and peaceable decision of issues.”

An announcement issued in response by the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority denied Thailand’s allegation that Cambodia had laid new mines.

“We haven’t, and won’t, plant new land mines,” mentioned the assertion, noting that Cambodia is a celebration to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty Convention, “and has an internationally recognised file of eradicating, not deploying, these indiscriminate weapons.”

It famous that Cambodia has cleared greater than 1 million mines and practically 3 million different items of unexploded ordnance left over from greater than three many years of warfare and civil unrest that started in 1970. Cambodia had prompt that two earlier explosions final month wounding Thai troopers is perhaps land mines from previous conflicts.

Tensions had simmered since May this yr when a Cambodian soldier was shot useless by Thai troops in a quick fracas in one other contested border space. The escalating dispute was marked by border crossing restrictions and cross-border boycotts and bans of products and companies earlier than combating broke out.

In Saturday’s incident, a Thai sergeant main suffered extreme accidents, together with dropping his left foot, mentioned the Thai military assertion, whereas two privates suffered lesser accidents.