Ubon ratchathani: The commander of the 2nd Army Region has confirmed the discovery of new landmines in the Hill 481 area of Thailand, which is expected to contain over a hundred mines.

According to Thai News Agency, Lieutenant General Boonsin Phadklang, Commander of the 2nd Army Region, shared the findings during a press conference at Suranaree Force Headquarters. Colonel Somchoke Chantasi, leading the 3rd Humanitarian Mine Action Unit, reported that seven officers were dispatched to inspect the area. They discovered eight landmines in total, with three found at one location and five at another. The mines were placed with a radius of 40 centimeters between them and were covered with leaves.

The inspection concluded that the mines are newly planted, as they were free from weeds and had clear markings. These mines were located within Thai territory, approximately 100-150 meters from the Cambodian border. The 2nd Army Region plans to report this discovery to the government, which will then notify the United Nations as per the Ottawa Convention.

General Nattapol Nakphanit, Deputy Minister of Defense and Director of the Center for Special Operations in the Thai-Cambodian Border Situation Administration (CSOPA), has scheduled a meeting to discuss the incident where personnel from the 6021st Infantry Regiment were injured by a landmine in the Chong Bok area. The meeting will focus on collecting evidence and taking necessary actions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will participate in this meeting to provide guidance on further steps. The Thai authorities aim to gather clear and precise evidence to support their case and present it to the UN, asserting that the landmines are a violation of the Ottawa Convention. Military engineers will be deployed to recover explosives found within Thai territory. The process involves meticulous data collection and analysis to ensure the evidence is robust and accurate.