Surin: Officials cleared the area around Chong Chuptamok in Surin Province before leading an IOT observation team to the area. They found another bomb near the spot where a Thai soldier had previously stepped on a landmine. Meanwhile, the Malaysian military attach© hugged and offered support to the Thai soldiers on patrol on the day of the incident.
According to Thai News Agency, the Royal Thai Army led a 14-member delegation of temporary observers (IOTs) from eight ASEAN countries, including Brunei, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam, led by the Malaysian military attach© in Thailand. The delegation visited the Thai-Cambodian border to investigate ceasefire violations. The first stop was a holding area for 18 Cambodian prisoners of war (POWs) to confirm that Thailand's actions were in accordance with international humanitarian principles and the Geneva Conventions, including food, medical care, and the protection of basic rights.
The delegation then visited the Phanom Dong Rak Hospital, 80th Anniversary Celebration, Surin Province, which was attacked by Cambodian BM-21 rockets, a clear violation of international humanitarian law due to its attacks on civilians and medical facilities. They also followed up on the recovery and destruction of explosives fired by Cambodia into the Ban Non Mayang community, Tambon Ta Miang, Phanom Dong Rak District, Surin Province.
This field visit aims to ensure that international observers receive accurate, complete, and straightforward information on the ground, reflecting Cambodia's ceasefire violations, which have a direct impact on border security and innocent civilians.
The Malaysian Defence Attache to Thailand, who led the delegation, expressed gratitude to the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters and the Royal Thai Army for allowing the delegation to inspect the actual scene to determine what had happened.
The IOT observer team then visited the Chuptamoek pass near Ta Muen Thom Temple, the site where Sergeant Theeraphon Phiakhanthi, of the 2610th Ranger Company, stepped on a landmine on August 12th, following a ceasefire. This incident reinforced the Cambodian side's continued violation of the agreement, as the area was under normal patrols on August 10th, the day before the incident, with heavy rains interrupting the day before Thai soldiers stepped on a landmine on August 12th. A search of nearby explosives also uncovered three more bombs.
Observers also visited the area where Sergeant Theerapol stepped on a landmine, which is in Thai territory. TMAC officials pointed out three more bomb locations, all of which have been defused. This morning, officials cleared the area again to welcome the observers. Another bomb was found a few hundred meters away from the previous bombing. It is possible that Cambodia secretly came up to lay a landmine during the night, as soldiers at the base heard the sound of bottles tied to barbed wire, which sounded like someone shaking the barbed wire fence. A soldier who had been following Sergeant Theerapol, the injured man, about 1-2 meters before the incident, said that his ears were still ringing. After the briefing, the Malaysian defense attache hugged the soldier following Sergeant Theerapol to offer encouragement.
At both locations visited today, officials allowed only nine members of the media to enter due to limited space.