Cambodia tells Thailand blast near Chong Bok was an accident during rubbish burning
Cambodia said the explosion happened while troops were cleaning and reorganising a base on its side of the border, after a leftover DKZ munition detonated in a pile of rubbish, injuring two soldiers.
- Cambodia officially informed Thailand that an explosion near the Chong Bok border was an accident that occurred during a base clean-up.
- The blast was caused by a leftover munition that detonated while Cambodian soldiers were burning a pile of rubbish.
- The clarification was issued to prevent any misunderstanding with Thai forces, noting that the incident injured two Cambodian soldiers.
- Cambodia reiterated its commitment to peace and existing ceasefire agreements to ensure stability along the border.
A Cambodian military officer has told Thailand’s Second Army Area that an explosion near the Mum Bei (Chong Bok) area on Tuesday (January 6) was caused by an accident during a base clean-up on the Cambodian side of the border.
In a letter sent to the Second Army Area, Brig Gen Nid Narong, Deputy Chief of Staff of Cambodia’s Military Region 4 and chairman of the secretariat of the Cambodia–Thailand Regional Border Committee, said Cambodian troops were tidying up and burning rubbish that had been gathered at a base located within Cambodia’s sovereign territory.
He said the incident occurred at 7.27am on Tuesday, in the Mum Bei (Chong Bok) area of Preah Vihear province, as Cambodian forces carried out cleaning and reorganisation work inside their area.
During the burning, a leftover DKZ munition in the pile of rubbish exploded, he said, leaving two Cambodian soldiers injured, one seriously and one slightly.
The blast, he added, caused alarm among nearby Thai troops, and the clarification was issued to prevent any misunderstanding between the two sides.
Nid expressed condolences over the incident and reiterated that Cambodia remains committed to resolving issues peacefully under international law.
He said the Cambodian government and Cambodian forces were sincere in respecting and complying with the ceasefire and related agreements, including documents signed on July 28, 2025, October 26, 2025, and the joint document from the third special meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee on December 27, 2025, as well as other arrangements under the regional border committee framework between Cambodia’s Military Region 4 and Thailand’s Second Army Area.
He said the aim was to restore the situation to normal as quickly as possible and to ensure peace, stability and safety for people living along the border in both countries.
