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Three Thai soldiers were injured by a landmine while patrolling the border with Cambodia, the Royal Thai Armed Forces said, days after the two countries agreed to a detailed ceasefire following last month's violent five-day conflict, Al Jazeera reported.
One soldier lost a foot, while two others sustained injuries after stepping on a landmine in an area between Thailand's Sisaket and Cambodia's Preah Vihear provinces on Saturday morning, the military added. "One soldier suffered a severe leg injury, another was wounded in the back and arm, and the third had extreme pressure damage to the ear," Al Jazeera quoted the Royal Thai Armed Forces as saying. Cambodia's defence ministry said it "has yet to receive clear confirmation from Cambodian frontline forces concerning the explosion," adding that its army "has been strictly respecting the spirit of the ceasefire," Al Jazeera reported. Thailand stated the incident occurred within its territory in an area recently cleared of landmines and announced it would lodge a complaint against Cambodia for violating a treaty banning the use of landmines and infringing on Thai sovereignty, the Thai foreign ministry said in a statement, Al Jazeera added. Both Thailand and Cambodia are signatories to the Ottawa Convention against landmines, Al Jazeera noted. This marks the third incident in recent weeks where Thai soldiers were injured by mines while patrolling along the border. Two previous similar incidents contributed to the downgrading of diplomatic relations and triggered the five-day fighting from July 24-28, which was the worst border clash between the neighbours in over a decade, Al Jazeera reported. The clashes involved artillery fire, infantry battles, and jet fighter sorties, killing at least 43 people. The conflict ended with a ceasefire on July 28 after US President Donald Trump warned both sides that trade deals would be jeopardized if the fighting continued, Al Jazeera reported. A recent meeting of defence officials in Kuala Lumpur concluded on Thursday with an agreement to extend the ceasefire. Both sides also agreed to allow observers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to inspect disputed border areas to prevent further hostilities, Al Jazeera added. Bangkok has accused Cambodia of planting landmines on the Thai side of the disputed border that injured soldiers on July 16 and July 23. Phnom Penh denied placing new mines and claimed that the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered old landmines left from decades of war, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)
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