Grenade booby trap left by Thai soldiers
CAMBODIAN border police in Battambang province yesterday issued a stern warning to Thai soldiers after they discovered a booby-trapped grenade on the border the day prior.
O’Chrov border post police chief Sath Sophanarith said the explosive bore all the hallmarks of a Thai trap. “This homemade explosive thing was placed by a Thai soldier,” Sophanarith said. “The inside . . . was all explosive powder but there was no shrapnel.”
After its discovery near the border in Kamrieng district, Sophanarith said he contacted Thai authorities, who confirmed the device was placed by a member of Thailand’s military police.
The contraption comprised of a small ball-like grenade strung near a tree. It was rigged to drop and explode when triggered by a trip-wire, Sophanarith said. Authorities also uncovered a device nearby linked to the grenade that could be used to remotely trigger an explosion.
“Our authorities warned them to stop doing this, like before when they beat our people,” Sophanarith said, noting Thailand’s history of shooting Cambodian migrants and loggers who cross the border. He added that the two sides had now reached a compromise and he believed that the offending soldier did not intend to kill any people or animals.
“Our authorities have solved this case with Thailand after they gave us an apology,” he said.