SA KAEO: Mines dating back to the Cambodian Civil War five decades ago were successfully removed from Thai territory along the border with Cambodia on Friday.
The Thailand Mine Action Centre (TMAC) of the Royal Thai Army was alerted via social media to three reported mines in Ta Phraya district of Sa Kaeo province.
Explosives ordnance disposal (EOD) officers were sent to the sites and were able to confirm the first mine, located just 300 metres from Sri Pen Road. The other two were confirmed further down the road, only 100 metres from the roadside.
Security authorities cordoned off both areas as specialists prepared to neutralise the mines. About 10 officers from TMAC and Aranyaprathet border police, assisted by local army rangers, performed the task.
Local residents on both the Thai and Cambodian sides of the border were alerted to the operation.
On May 27, a local resident lost his leg after entering a forest in the area to forage for food. Samrit Ruayruen, 46, was reported to have strayed into the woods further than usual.
The incident prompted the action centre to launch a search using explosives detection dogs to uncover any further ordnance and to inform local residents on how to identify mines.
The latest report was made by a local farmer using information from the centre. The mines dated back to the Cambodian Civil War, which erupted in 1967 and ended in 1975, resulting in the deaths of over a million people.
