Thai soldier injured by landmine near Cambodia despite ceasefire agreement
A Thai soldier was seriously injured by a landmine near the Cambodian border on Tuesday, just days after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire following last month’s deadly five-day conflict.
The soldier stepped on the mine while patrolling a routine border route about 1 kilometer from the Ta Moan Thom temple in Thailand’s Surin province. His left ankle was severely injured, and he is currently receiving treatment in hospital, the Thai army said in a statement, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Thai army spokesman Major-General Winthai Suvaree condemned the incident, calling it clear evidence that Cambodia violated the ceasefire and international agreements such as the Ottawa Convention banning landmines.
This marks the fourth recent case of Thai soldiers being injured by landmines along the disputed border. On Saturday, three soldiers were wounded by a mine between Thailand’s Sisaket province and Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province. Previous mine incidents earlier in July had already heightened tensions, leading to clashes and a temporary downgrading of diplomatic relations.
Bangkok accuses Phnom Penh of planting new mines on the Thai side, while Cambodia denies this, attributing the injuries to old mines left from decades of past conflicts and saying Thai soldiers had strayed from agreed patrol routes. Cambodia reaffirmed its commitment to the Ottawa Convention, calling itself a "proud state party."
Thailand and Cambodia have long disputed ownership of points along their 817-km (508-mile) shared border, particularly around ancient Hindu temples like Ta Moan Thom and Preah Vihear.
The recent July clashes were the worst in over a decade, involving artillery exchanges and air strikes that killed at least 43 people and displaced more than 300,000 on both sides.
Since last week’s ceasefire, ASEAN observers have been allowed to inspect disputed border areas to help maintain peace and prevent further hostilities.
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