Landmine dispute escalates tensions between Thailand and Cambodia
Thai authorities made the claim after three soldiers were injured, with one losing a foot, by a landmine explosion while on a routine patrol on July 16 on the Thai side of the disputed border area between Ubon Ratchathani and Cambodia's Preah Vihear province.
Cambodia's Defence Ministry denied that new mines had been planted, saying in a statement on Sunday the soldiers had strayed from agreed patrol routes into areas that contain unexploded landmines. The country is littered with landmines laid during decades of war.
Thailand's army said on Monday that 10 freshly laid Russian-made PMN-2 type landmines, which are not used or stockpiled by Thailand, were found between July 18 and July 20 in areas near where the soldiers were injured.
"This is a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Thailand and an outright breach of principles that are fundamental to international law," Maratee Nalita Andamo, deputy spokesperson for the Thai Foreign Ministry, said on Monday in Bangkok.
Data from the Cambodia Mine Action Centre, which estimates there are still 4 to 6 million landmines scattered across the country, shows five people were killed and a dozen injured by mines and unexploded ordnance in Cambodia in the first four months of 2025.
The area where the mine exploded is near where a Cambodian soldier was killed in May after a brief exchange of gunfire between troops on both sides.
The incident has flared into a broader diplomatic dispute between the Southeast Asian neighbours that has destabilised the Thai government and seen the Prime Minister suspended from office.
Thailand said it will issue a formal condemnation and call for accountability from Cambodia for breaching the anti-landmine convention under the Ottawa Treaty, and the army will also increase vigilance during border patrols.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Marines Will Begin Withdrawing From Los Angeles
Pentagon officials will begin withdrawing 700 active-duty Marines who were sent to Los Angeles last month, the latest scaling back of the Trump administration's contentious military deployment in Southern California. The withdrawal of the Marines follows the departure of nearly 2,000 California National Guard soldiers and a smaller contingent of about 150 specialized Guard firefighters. The troops had been dispatched to Los Angeles by President Trump starting on June 7, after protests erupted there over immigration raids. More than half will now have been ordered back to base; an 1,892-member brigade of military police remains. The Pentagon's chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, framed the pullout as the natural closure of a successful military response that was needed to quell civil unrest in the nation's second-largest city. 'With stability returning to Los Angeles, the secretary has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: Lawlessness will not be tolerated,' Mr. Parnell said Monday in a statement, referring to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. 'Their rapid response, unwavering discipline, and unmistakable presence were instrumental in restoring order and upholding the rule of law. We're deeply grateful for their service, and for the strength and professionalism they brought to this mission.' Democratic leaders in California have accused the Trump administration of provoking the protests by sending masked federal agents to carwashes and other sites to detain immigrants, and then using the subsequent public outrage over the raids as a pretext for military action. Since June, the troops have stood guard outside federal office buildings and have accompanied agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Border Patrol and other agencies during immigration raids. Pentagon officials estimated that the cost of deploying the Marines and National Guard soldiers would run to about $134 million. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Father who moved family to Russia to escape ‘woke' America is sent to front line
A Texan father who moved his family to Russia to escape 'woke' America has been sent to the front line. Derek Huffman, 46, relocated to the small town of Istra, around 25 miles from Moscow, with his wife, their three daughters and their husky earlier this year. They did this through Russia's 'shared values' visa scheme, aimed at attracting foreigners who reject what Vladimir Putin calls 'destructive neoliberal ideology'. Mr Huffman had initially agreed to join the Russian military in a non-combat capacity, thinking at first he would be a welder and later a war correspondent. But despite having no experience as a soldier and limited understanding of the Russian language, he has been sent 'near' the front line in the war with Ukraine, according to his wife. DeAnna Huffman said her husband felt he was being 'thrown to the wolves' given that he had only received a limited amount of training, and that it was in Russian. 'Unfortunately, when you're taught in a different language, and you don't understand the language, how are you really getting taught?' she pondered in a vlog uploaded to the family's YouTube channel. 'You're not. So, unfortunately, he feels like he's being thrown to the wolves right now, and he's kind of having to lean on faith, and that's what we're all doing.' Mr Huffman's last message came in June, marking Father's Day in the US. Wearing camouflage and military gear, he appeared in a one-minute video addressed to his family. 'I miss you all more than you can imagine,' he said. 'I can't wait to see you, hopefully I get a vacation at some point and I get to go home and spend a couple of weeks with you. 'But man, you're on my mind 24/7 and just know that what I'm doing is important to me and important to our family. Just know I will do whatever it takes to be safe and to come home to you. Take care of each other.' 'Save this family' Since then, there have been no new images or videos of Mr Huffman. The family commented on their YouTube channel that he was 'doing fine'. However, a link on their channel, which has since been deleted, directed users to a Telegram group titled 'Save that little girls'. Created on Sunday, the group contained one message: 'We are asking the United States government to save this family,' along with a photo of Mrs Huffman and her daughters crying in the street. It is unclear if the family created the group. The Telegraph has contacted the Huffmans for comment. Their move to Russia was prompted by their dissatisfaction with what they saw as progressive overreach in the American education system. After relocating from Arizona to Texas, they were disturbed when their daughter Sophia was expected to speak about lesbian topics at school. 'The final straw was when we found out my daughter Sophia learnt about lesbians from a girl in her class. She didn't fully understand it, but for us, that was enough to realise something had to change,' Mr Huffman told Russia Today. A trip to Moscow in May 2023 convinced the family that Russia offered the traditional values they desired. 'The city was cleaner, safer, and more orderly than we ever imagined. Most importantly, we found a place that respected our values – where we finally felt at home,' Mr Huffman continued. Upon arriving in Russia, the family were featured in several state-affiliated media outlets, where they described their move as a rejection of Western cultural values. Mr Huffman said he wanted to earn his place in Russian society not via handouts but through service. 'The point of this act for me is to earn a place here in Russia,' he said. 'If I risk myself for our new country, no one will say that I am not a part of it. Unlike migrants in America who come there just like that, do not assimilate, and at the same time want free handouts.' But Mrs Huffman has since claimed her husband was misled. 'When he signed up and had all of that done, he was told he would not be training for two weeks and going straight to the front lines,' she said. 'But it seems as though he is getting one more week of training, closer to the front lines, and then they are going to put him on the front lines.' Mrs Huffman said in her vlog: 'It's been just a few months since our family made the big move from America to Russia, and while we've had amazing adventures, this journey has also brought deep challenges. 'Being alone in a new country, raising kids, and trying to stay strong has tested me in ways I never imagined,' she said. The Huffmans settled in an 'American village', a settlement in Istra created by US expat and blogger Tim Kirby, who has lived in Russia for two decades. It was founded in 2023 as a refuge for Americans fleeing what Mr Kirby described as 'liberal gender norms'. However only two families, including the Huffmans, are known to have moved there, according to a report by United24Media. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why do hostage families fear the IDF's reinvasion of Deir al-Balah, despite past operations?
On Sunday, the IDF issued evacuation orders for the Deir al-Balah central Gaza area, a reliable sign that the IDF intends to attack an area more aggressively, often with a full-scale invasion. The IDF had invaded Deir el-Balah in central Gaza at least twice before this Sunday and had attacked it from the air at least 11 times. So why did hostages' support groups get so upset by the military's latest announcement that it is invading this area? On Sunday, the IDF issued evacuation orders for the citizens of Deir el-Balah, a reliable sign that the IDF intends to attack an area more aggressively, often with a full-scale invasion. The message included the phrase that the IDF was going to 'operate in areas where it has not operated in the past.' Soon after that, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum slammed the announcement, saying that the IDF and the government were going to endanger hostages being held by Hamas. They asked rhetorically whether the authorities could vow to them that these new operations would not lead to the deaths of hostages, as occurred in August 2024 when the IDF invaded new areas of Rafah where it believed there were no hostages, and Hamas terrorists responded by killing six hostages they were guarding. There have also been at least a few other instances where hostages were accidentally bombed or shot by the IDF, as it did not realize they were nearby or that they were not Hamas terrorists. Moreover, the forum said that invading these new areas should not be seen as a 'card' to play in negotiations over releasing hostages and a ceasefire, but rather as a clear and present danger to the hostages' lives. Also, during recent hostage releases during the January to March period, there was public footage showing hostages being released from these general areas in central Gaza. The footage showed that some areas appeared to be much less attacked and destroyed than many other areas in Gaza. Despite all this, the IDF's statements over the 21-month war have indicated that it undertook air strikes in Deir el-Balah as early as November 6, 2023. That was followed by IDF air strikes on the area in 2024 on: January 1, March 25, July 6, July 20, August 4, September 4, October 7, and November 30, as well as on April 13 and May 8 in 2025. Moreover, the IDF has invaded Deir el-Balah with the 98th Division both from June 5-10, 2024 as well as sometime during the August 16-30, 2024, period. So what is so special this time that it set off alarm sirens about endangering the hostages? There are at least two possibilities. Prior invasions did not delve deep into Deir al-Balah One is that prior invasions of Deir el-Balah were on the eastern side or in the peripheral areas but did not delve deep into areas beyond its eastern side. In this case, the Hostages Families Forum's concerns could be valid even if the IDF has invaded nearby and directed air strikes in the area. IDF, gov't use reinvasion as psychological warfare Another possibility is that the IDF and the government are using this operation as a psychological warfare game. If they know that the remaining top Hamas commanders – essentially second-and third-string commanders since all top commanders, including Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Mohammed Sinwar, Marwan Issa, and others, have been killed over 21 months – then the threat of invasion and further encroachment could finally pressure Hamas into agreeing to another hostage deal. Within that same strategy, it is possible that the IDF has invaded this area before, but advertising publicly now that it is willing to 'invade areas where it has not yet operated' could leave Hamas uncertain enough of the future that it signs a deal. At press time, the IDF had not clarified to The Jerusalem Post what was different about its expected invasion area compared to prior actions in Deir al-Balah. Either way, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum was clearly responding to the IDF's use of words and messaging, along with all of the factors that have made portions of central Gaza viewed as highly sensitive. Whether the pressure works on Hamas will play out in the coming days.
