PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (EAC News) — Cambodia on Wednesday rejected accusations by the Thai military that its forces planted new landmines along the border after a Thai soldier was severely injured near the Ta Krabey Temple.

The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) said in a statement that Cambodia has never used, produced or deployed new landmines since joining the Ottawa Convention in 2000, calling the Thai allegations “baseless” and lacking credible evidence.

The Thai soldier lost part of his lower right leg after stepping on a mine on Aug. 27 in an area long known to be contaminated by ordnance from past conflicts, the CMAA said. It added that plastic-cased landmines have been documented in the region for decades, making detection difficult.

“The incident is far more plausibly the result of a pre-existing mine than any recent activity,” the CMAA said, urging calm and cooperation while calling for continued humanitarian clearance operations along the border.

Cambodia said it has made significant progress in mine clearance since the 1990s but acknowledged that large stretches of the frontier remain contaminated, particularly in remote areas.

The CMAA called on Thailand to present evidence for its allegations and urged both countries to resolve the issue through bilateral mechanisms, including Regional Border Committee meetings.