Bomb disposal teams sent to border
Chief of the defence forces, Gen Songwit Noonpakdee, said the teams -- along with officers from Border Patrol Police and local community leaders -- will support the demining efforts by the Thailand Mine Action Centre (TMAC).
To date, they have surveyed and cleared over 800 locations across the three provinces, Gen Songwit said, adding the explosive ordnance disposal operation will continue until the areas along the border are cleared of landmines.
Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, Commander of the Second Army Region, said he had talks with Gen Pana Klaewplodthuk, Royal Thai Army (RTA) commander-in-chief, regarding the upcoming Thai–Cambodian Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting on Aug 27 in Si Sa Ket.
He said the agenda still focuses on a review of conclusions from the Thai–Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) meeting with minor clarifications. Key issues, he said, will include landmine clearance and preventing troop reinforcements or incursions in deployment zones, such as aircraft flying too close to the border, which could provoke clashes.
Asked whether the meeting would yield tangible results, Lt Gen Boonsin said this depended on the Cambodian site. He added that on Thursday, the Thai–Cambodian RBC secretariats would hold preliminary talks, led by the First Army Region Chief of Staff on the Thai side and the Deputy Commander of Cambodia's Fifth Military Region.
Meanwhile, several schools along the Thai-Cambodian border in Surin reopened on Monday after a temporary closure caused by the recent border clashes. However, many classrooms remained quiet with a good number of parents keeping their children home due to safety concerns.
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