Cambodian soldiers accused of planting explosives in Thai territory
Army warns ceasefire violation heightens border tension near Hill 350
Today, September 1, the Royal Thai Army (RTA) has reported that Cambodian soldiers allegedly planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) inside Thai territory near Hill 350, close to the Ta Kwai Castle area, heightening border tensions.
According to a report from the Second Army Region, yesterday, August 31, at around 11.50am, the 1st Light Weapons Company of the 27th Infantry Battalion discovered explosives set with mortar shells and tripwires in the western sector of Ta Kwai Castle, about 1.7 kilometres from Hill 350 in Bak Dai Subdistrict, Phanom Dong Rak District, Surin province. The area is near barbed wire defensive lines maintained by Thai forces.
Officials noted that the Cambodian tactics mirrored a previous August 22 incident, when Thai forces found Cambodian soldiers lying in ambush and monitoring Thai positions near Hill 350. Subsequent inspections uncovered three PMN-2 mines, two mortar shells, and numerous caltrops, suggesting the devices were intended for IED attacks targeting Thai troops.
Brigadier General Winthai Suwaree, spokesperson for the RTA, condemned the actions as a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement. He stated that the use of IEDs against Thai soldiers in national territory represents a deliberate provocation and a threat to human life.
“These actions contradict Cambodia’s claims to the international community of being peaceful and committed to the ceasefire.”
The RTA spokesperson further noted that ongoing Cambodian tactics pose a continued risk. In response, General Phana Klawplodtuk, Commander-in-Chief of the RTA, has instructed all personnel under the Second Army Region to exercise extreme caution, remain vigilant, and deploy bomb disposal units to inspect high-risk areas to ensure safety during all operations, reported Thairath.
In similar news, a Thai soldier lost his right foot after triggering an anti-personnel landmine near Hill 350, close to the Ta Kwai temple ruins along the Cambodian border in Surin province, on August 27.
This marks the sixth landmine-related injury among Thai soldiers since the border conflict reignited in July.
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