Thailand has accused Cambodia of laying anti-personnel mines in a disputed border area after three Thai soldiers were injured on July 16, one of them losing a leg. The incident occurred during a routine patrol on the Thai side of the disputed border between Ubon Ratchathani province and Cambodia's Preah Vihear, Reuters reports, BTA reports.
The Cambodian Defense Ministry rejected the accusations, saying on Sunday that the Thai military had deviated from an agreed route and entered an area where unexploded mines from past conflicts still remain. The country remains littered with munitions left over from decades of civil and regional war.
In response, the Thai military said on Monday that between July 18 and 20, ten newly laid Russian-made PMN-2 anti-personnel mines, a model not used or stored by Thailand, were found in the area of the incident. According to Bangkok, this constitutes a “clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Thailand and a gross violation of fundamental principles of international law”, said Thai Foreign Ministry deputy spokesperson Marathi Nalitha Andamo.
According to the Cambodian Mine Action Center, in the first four months of 2025 At least five people have been killed and more than a dozen injured by landmines and unexploded ordnance in the country.
The blast site is close to where a Cambodian soldier was killed in a crossfire between the two armies in May, an incident that has further heightened tensions between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. The ensuing political crisis in Thailand has led to the temporary suspension of the prime minister.
Thailand plans to deliver a formal diplomatic note condemning and demanding that Cambodia take responsibility for its violation of the Mine Ban Treaty (Ottawa Treaty). The army will also step up surveillance along the disputed border.