PHNOM PENH, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's landmine and unexploded ordnance casualties dropped by 6 percent during the first nine months of 2026, official data showed on Monday.
According to Lang Kosal, spokesperson for the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), the kingdom recorded 32 casualties from January to September, down from 34 during the same period last year.
"Seven people were killed, 17 injured, and eight suffered amputations due to landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) explosions so far this year," he told Xinhua.
The victims included 22 men, six boys, two women, and two girls, he added.
Cambodia remains one of the world's most heavily mined nations, a legacy of three decades of armed conflict that ended in 1998. An estimated four to six million landmines and unexploded munitions were left behind.
CMAA data shows that between 1979 and September 2026, these explosives claimed 19,852 lives and left 45,305 people injured or amputated.
To tackle the ongoing threat, Cambodia launched a new National Mine Action Policy last month, pushing its target to eliminate all identified landmines, cluster bombs, and ERWs by 2035. ■