11-day operation clears over 480 explosive items in Thai-Cambodian border provinces
The National Mine Action Centre, in coordination with police EOD teams, recovered and destroyed more than 480 explosive items across Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket, and Ubon Ratchathani during an 11-day clearance mission.
Gen Saksit Saengchanin, Director of the Thailand Mine Action Centre (TMAC) under the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, led a delegation to inspect and issue policy guidance to bomb disposal units supporting the Suranaree Task Force. The units comprise nine teams drawn from Humanitarian Mine Action Units 1–4, stationed at the Suranaree Task Force’s field engineer company in Ban Pluang subdistrict, Prasat district, Surin province.
Between August 1 and 11, 2025, 15 teams from the TMAC, working alongside the Royal Thai Police’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams, supported the Suranaree Task Force and Provincial Police Region 3 in surveying, identifying, recovering, and destroying explosive ordnance in areas affected by Cambodian attacks.
Operation results
The mission recovered a total of 483 explosive items across four border provinces:
- Buri Ram: 36 BM-21 rockets, 36 artillery shells, 21 mortar rounds, and 13 other explosive devices were found, totalling 95 items recovered.
- Surin: 206 BM-21 rockets, 3 artillery shells, 36 mortar rounds, and 19 other explosive devices were found, totalling 234 items recovered.
- Si Sa Ket: 38 BM-21 rockets and 88 artillery shells were found, totalling 120 items recovered.
- Ubon Ratchathani: 35 BM-21 rockets were found, totalling 34 items recovered.
These results demonstrate the readiness and capability of Thailand’s security forces to reduce threats and protect the safety of border communities.
Public safety measures
The operation also included warnings and public awareness campaigns in affected areas contaminated with unexploded mines, including anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines, and heavy ordnance such as RPGs, artillery shells, and mortar rounds that failed to detonate.
TMAC’s 15 operational teams remain focused on locating and neutralising rockets and heavy weapons that directly threaten civilians, as a priority step to ensure residents can return to their homes safely.
Authorities urge that if members of the public encounter any explosives, suspicious items, or unusual objects in their area, they should immediately inform military, police, or local security units so they can safely recover and dispose of them.
