Thai troops injured in landmine blast near Thailand-Cambodia border
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Three Thai soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion near the Thailand-Cambodia border, days after both nations agreed to a ceasefire.
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Thai soldiers inspect a border area on Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Ubon Ratchathani province, where the Royal Thai Army said two anti-personnel landmines were found (AP)
Three Thai soldiers were injured by a landmine blast near the Cambodian border on Saturday, the Thai army said, just days after the neighboring Southeast Asian nations agreed to a detailed ceasefire following last month's deadly five-day conflict.
One soldier had his foot blown off and two others were wounded when a patrol member triggered a landmine in the border area between Thailand's Sisaket province and Cambodia's Preah Vihear province, according to an army statement, adding that they are currently receiving treatment.
Thailand stated that the explosion occurred in an area of its territory that had recently been cleared of landmines, and the foreign ministry said Bangkok would file a complaint against Cambodia for violating an international treaty banning landmines, to which both countries are signatories, as well as for infringing on Thai sovereignty.
Cambodia rejected Thailand's claims, asserting it did not plant any new mines.
Cambodia's Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority stated late Saturday that the country remains a "proud state party" to the Ottawa Convention banning landmines, having already cleared over 1 million mines from past conflicts, while also warning that Thailand's allegations could harm the ceasefire agreement's cooperative spirit.
Landmines trigger fighting between Cambodia, Thailand
The Saturday mine explosion marked the third instance in recent weeks where Thai troops sustained injuries while conducting border patrols, following two previous similar incidents that resulted in both the deterioration of diplomatic ties and the outbreak of armed clashes between the two nations.
The fighting from July 24-28, which represented the most severe conflict between the two nations in over ten years, included sustained artillery duels and combat jet missions that resulted in a minimum of 43 casualties while forcing more than 300,000 civilians from their homes across both countries.
The tentative ceasefire has remained in effect since Thursday, when Thailand and Cambodia reached an agreement to allow observers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to monitor the disputed border regions and verify that fighting does not break out again.
Thailand has alleged that Cambodia laid new landmines within the disputed border area, resulting in injuries to Thai soldiers on July 16 and July 23, while Cambodia has rejected these claims, maintaining that the troops had strayed from established patrol routes and detonated remnants of old mines from past conflicts.
