Four Cambodian Soldiers Injured in Border Blast; Thailand Denies Involvement

Four Cambodian soldiers were injured in an explosion near the Thai border in Oddar Meanchey province on July 5, with Cambodia saying it is investigating the cause, while Thailand denies any involvement by its forces.A spokesperson for Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence said the incident happened at about 12:35 p.m. as a Cambodian patrol was carrying out duties in a cashew plantation in Thmar Daun village, Kok Mon commune, Banteay Ampil district.According to the ministry, the Cambodian patrol encountered a Thai military patrol on the other side of a barbed wire fence. Shortly after the Cambodian troops moved past the area, an explosion occurred behind them, injuring four soldiers with fragments from the blast.The ministry said the wounded soldiers were receiving medical treatment, while frontline commanders and specialists were continuing their investigation to determine what caused the explosion.It also reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to respecting agreements and joint statements between Cambodia and Thailand aimed at maintaining peace and stability along the border.On the same day, Thai army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree denied allegations that Thai soldiers had used weapons or thrown a hand grenade at Cambodian forces.In a Thai statement, officials said that after checking with military units responsible for the area, they concluded that the explosion took place on Cambodian territory and was not the result of any action by Thai forces.Thailand also said its patrol was protecting road construction work on the Thai side at the time of the incident. Thai troops heard an explosion from the Cambodian side before seeing efforts to rescue the injured.The Thai denial followed reports claiming that Thai soldiers had thrown a grenade into a Cambodian position.So far, there has been no independent evidence confirming the source of the explosion or verifying the claims made by either side.