THAILAND – The Thai-Cambodia peace deal was on Monday suspended by Thailand after Thai forces were seriously injured by a landmine explosion at a border province.

“All operations under the Joint Declaration on Thai-Cambodian Relations, signed in Kuala Lumpur on October 26th, must be halted immediately,” said Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, according to the public broadcaster Thai PBS.

On Oct. 26, the two countries signed a peace agreement in Kuala Lumpur in the presence of US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Cambodia and Thailand agreed to an unconditional ceasefire on July 28 at a trilateral meeting hosted by Anwar following weeks of hostilities.

“The hostility we hoped would subside clearly has not. Following this morning’s incident, cooperation cannot continue for now,” Anutin said.

The landmine explosion occurred on Monday morning, during the troops’ patrol in the border province of Si Sa Ket.

Two soldiers were wounded, with one losing his right foot and the other sustaining chest injuries.

Anutin told reporters that any future progress will only proceed if it serves Thailand’s interests.

According to Defense Minister Gen Nattaphon Nakpanich, “formal protests will be filed right away.”

“As for the matter of prisoners of war, that will be put on hold for now. If it turns out that this was intentional, there will be more serious consequences,” he added.

Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said that “it’s too early to say” whether the suspension is “indefinite.”

“Once the protest has been filed, we will assess our next steps,” he added.

Meanwhile, Cambodia stressed its commitment to the recently signed Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration on Peace, Cooperation and Prosperity, according to the daily Khmer Times.

Lt. Gen. Rath Dararoth, secretary of state at the National Defense Ministry, said Phnom Penh is committed “to implementing its obligations and expressed readiness to work closely with Thailand for the mutual benefit of both countries and peoples.”

Cambodia’s Response

The Cambodian Foreign Ministry in a statement issued Monday said that Phnom Penh is “gravely concerned” about Thailand’s decision to suspend the peace agreement.

“The Royal Government of Cambodia categorically denies the allegations by Thailand that new landmines have been laid by Cambodia at the border with Thailand,” it said on the US social media company Facebook’s platform.

The statement noted that minefields along the Cambodia-Thailand border, which date back to nearly three decades of Cambodia’s civil wars in the 1970s and 1980s, remain uncleared due to “difficult terrains and the un-demarcated status of the border areas.”

“Cambodia remains committed to implementing the Joint Declaration, which was signed amidst much applaud from the international community,” the statement added.