Nov. 11 (UPI) — Thailand on Tuesday suspended the U.S. President Donald Trump-brokered truce with Cambodia after four soldiers patrolling near their shared border were wounded by landmines.
“Agreement suspended,” the Royal Thai Army said in a social media statement. “Cambodia has clearly shown hostility.”
Thailand and Cambodia signed the fragile agreement with Trump looking on, on Oct. 26 in Malaysia, bringing a halt to renewed fighting, which began in July, in their long-held border dispute.
The Royal Thai Army said four soldiers were injured in the Huai Ta Maria area, about a half mile inside Thailand from the Cambodia border.
The wounded soldiers were identified as Sgt. Maj. Thoedsak Samaphong, whose right foot was severed at the ankle, Pvt. Watchira Phanthana, who suffered a chest injury from the blast impact, Pvt. Apirak Srichomchai, whose leg was injured by shrapnel, and Pvt. Anucha Sujaree, who suffered eye irritation caused by chemicals from the detonation.
All four are receiving treatment at a local hospital.
The soldiers were injured while conducting a routine patrol along a familiar route used for patrols.
The Royal Thai Army said Thai forces discovered a section of barbed wire barrier along the border that had been disturbed on Sunday. The next day, the patrol team dispatched to inspect the disturbed area triggered a landmine at around 8:30 a.m. local time.
Three additional landmines were later found, it said.
“From the evidence, it is concluded that the barbed wire was illegally removed and new mines were planted inside Thai territory, targeting our patrols,” Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree said in a statement.
After the Thai military announced soldiers had been injured but before the agreement was suspended, the Thai Ministry of Defense put a planned prisoners of war exchange with Cambodia on hold.
Cambodia has denied the allegations that its troops had planted new landmines, stating that most minefields from Cambodia’s civil wars of the 1970s and 1980s near their border “have not yet been cleared due to difficult terrain and the undemarcated status of the border areas.”
“The Royal Government of Cambodia wishes to affirm that Cambodia remains committed to implementing the Joint Declaration, which was signed amid much applause from the international community,” Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement.
Thailand’s Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the suspension of the Joint Declaration in a statement that said the decision was made during a meeting of the National Security Council.
Included in the suspension was the repatriation of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war.
The ministry said it is preparing to issue a formal protest, while Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed all security agencies to protect the lives of citizens and defend the country.