Khmer soldiers on high alert after mine explosion at Prolean Entry

A Khmer soldier patrolling at Phnom Trop on 19th, October.

By Sav Yuth
29th October, 2008
Radio Free Asia

Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

There are reports that there is a mine explosion on Tuesday night at the areas where fighting between Khmer and Thai troops took place on the 15th of October which caused the Khmer soldiers to take up positions.

Many Khmer soldiers at Prolean Entry, Phnom Trop and at the frontline areas near Preah Vihear temple took up positions from Tuesday night until Wednesday morning when they heard a mine explosion 250 metres from their positions at Prolean Entry.

Deputy Commander of Division 43, Col. Bun Thean, said that at 11 PM on Tuesday night there was a mine explosion 250 metres from the frontline, but till Wednesday morning they still didn't know what exactly caused the mine to explode. He added that maybe the animals stepped on it or maybe the Thai soldiers stepped on it because the Cambodian soldiers dared not go to ckeck the area because it was laden with landmines left from a long time ago.

Col. Bun Thean said: "We heard the explosion at 11 o'clock and 10 minutes last night. But when I asked our soldiers to check they didn't find anything. We did not dare to go deep into that area."

On Wednesday, the Thai military cannot be contacted for the information about whether there were any Thai soldiers who were injured from the explosion.

But a Khmer military official from Division 12 said that at around 8 AM on Wednesday, they saw a Thai helicopter landed near the explosion site but they are sure if the helicopter came to pick up the wounded soldiers or came for other purposes. He said: "This morning we saw a helicopter landed there but we are not sure if it came to pick up the wounded soldiers or for other purposes."

Sources from the Cambodian soldiers said that after they heard the explosion, both the Cambodian and Thai soldiers jumped into their trenches and stayed there until the next morning.

In relation to mine clearing, Chairman of Cambodian Border Committee, Mr. Var Kim, said that on Tuesday morning he when to the disputed zone at Preah Vihear to investigate the sites for mine clearing for future border demarcations, if the Thai agrees to do the same thing.