Sisaket: EOD officers successfully destroyed the HE bomb head of a BM 21 rocket embedded on Kantharalak Road in Sisaket Province, near the gas station where Cambodian forces fired at a convenience store.
According to Thai News Agency, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team began preparations around 2:00 PM to neutralize a bomb planted on the Ban Nam Yen-Ban Phue road, heading towards Khao Phra Wihan in Kantharalak District, Sisaket Province. This explosive device was launched by Cambodian forces into a civilian area, located less than a kilometer from the PTT Ban Phue gas station. The incident occurred on July 24th, coinciding with a Cambodian rocket attack on a convenience store within the station, which resulted in eight fatalities.
Officers employed sandbags to construct protective bunkers around the bomb site, which was buried in the road. Personnel from the Sisaket Provincial Police, the 22nd Border Patrol Police Regiment in Ubon Ratchathani, and officials from the National Mine Action Center, Military Command Center, Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters (TMAC) were deployed to the scene.
To ensure public safety, a one-kilometer radius around the site was closed to traffic, and residents within this zone were evacuated. Media personnel covering the event were also positioned at a safe distance. Ambulances were on standby in the vicinity to provide immediate assistance if needed before the bomb defusal.
Officials reported that they had to excavate the road surface to a depth of 1 meter 80 centimeters to locate the BM21 bomb, which was found in operable condition. A hole measuring 1 meter 50 centimeters wide at the bottom and 2 meters 10 centimeters wide at the top was dug to recover it, after which a C4 explosive was used for its detonation.
The village headman of Nam Yen submitted evidence of multiple BM-21 rocket launchers fired into the Nam Yen subdistrict by Cambodian forces on July 24th. He recounted that three rockets hit his village, causing damage to several houses and resulting in the death of a cow. Fortunately, no injuries occurred as the villagers had already evacuated. The headman, who serves as a ranger with the 23rd Ranger Regiment, emphasized the importance of vigilance when patrolling the border with Cambodian soldiers, warning that landmines might be secretly planted by the Cambodian forces to target Thai soldiers.