Khmer Notebook shows newly mapped minefields after Thai troops hit by blast
The Second Army has uncovered written evidence of fresh Cambodian mine-laying along the border, after Thai soldiers were injured by landmines in the Sam Tae–Hill 677 area
At 11am on December 13, 2025, the Second Army Operations Centre reported that Thai forces had secured Sam Tae and Hill 677 near Chong An Ma and seized Cambodian equipment, including a field notebook showing detailed records of newly laid landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
According to the report, the notebook records:
On 12 August 2025:
- 11 mine/IED points with a total of 30 devices, plus
- 2 IED points with TNT charges, totalling 6 devices.
On 21 August 2025:
- plans to lay mines at 6 additional locations (number of devices not yet specified).
Battlefield situation
Key points from the Second Army’s update:
- Thai forces have captured Sam Tae and Hill 677 in the Chong An Ma sector. Operations are still ongoing in the wider area.
- The Khana Dam area has also been retaken.
- A third objective remains under active operations.
- At Ta Kwai, fighting remains intense and results will be reported later.
- Elsewhere along the border, clashes continue sporadically. The situation is described as “under control but under constant surveillance” as Cambodian forces keep firing artillery and BM-21 multiple rocket launchers at Thai positions.
Weapons and documents seized
From Cambodian positions in Sam Tae and on Hill 677, Thai troops seized:
- 8 mobile phones
- 1 Cambodian soldier’s operations notebook
- 7 M203 grenades
- 50 RPG rounds with launch equipment
- 11,765 rounds of ammunition
- 15 radios
The Second Army says the phones and notebook have been handed to specialist agencies for further examination and intelligence exploitation.
Areas suspected of containing landmines or IEDs are now under Thai control, with engineers and demining units preparing to move in and verify, the command added. Further updates will be provided once clearance work progresses.
