BANGKOK: A Thai soldier was severely wounded after stepping on a landmine near the Cambodia border on Tuesday.
The Royal Thai Army reported the explosion occurred around 9:00 am during a patrol close to the contested Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple in Surin province.
Army spokesman Winthai Suvaree accused Cambodia of planting new landmines in violation of the recent ceasefire agreement.
“Cambodia continues to covertly plant landmines as an ongoing threat,“ said Winthai in an official statement.
He warned that Thailand may be forced to defend itself if such incidents persist.
Cambodia’s Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority has previously denied allegations of new mine placements.
The disputed border region remains heavily contaminated with explosives from past conflicts.
This follows another landmine blast in Sisaket province on Saturday, injuring three Thai troops.
Both nations have accused each other of violating the ceasefire brokered on July 29.
The truce was mediated by Malaysia, China, and the US, with President Trump calling himself “the President of PEACE” after the agreement.
Last month’s clashes resulted in at least 43 deaths and displaced over 300,000 civilians.
The long-standing border dispute dates back more than a century. – AFP
