Troops' reported DMZ mine not found by investigators, Joint Chiefs says

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday that investigators were unable to locate a mine that troops reported seeing at the scene of a demilitarized zone explosion.

"It is my understanding that the on-site investigation team could not confirm the mine described in the soldiers' statements," a Joint Chiefs official said. "Since it was not confirmed, there are no photographs of it either."

The military said there were two separate explosions. During the final day of the investigation, the team found one previously unidentified mine about two meters from the second blast site and photographed it. A mine that troops said they saw on Sept. 21 could not be confirmed at the scene.

The Joint Chiefs said it could not determine whether the mine described in the soldiers' accounts and the newly found mine were the same. "This does not mean they are different mines — it means the mine mentioned in the statements was not confirmed," the official said, adding that the investigation team withdrew after documenting the newly found mine. Markers left by the search party were placed "to mark a location, not a mine," the official said, indicating the on-site investigation had concluded.

On criticism that the mine photographs released by the military were low-resolution, the official said the quality had not been deliberately reduced.

"We distributed the photos exactly as we received them," the official said, adding that the military would check whether higher-quality images were available and consider releasing them.

Some observers have questioned whether the mine shown in the released images was deliberately planted, suggesting it looked more like a displaced mine than one that had been buried. Critics also noted that releasing higher-resolution photographs could help resolve the controversy.

All body camera footage worn by the troops has been submitted to the National Forensic Service for detailed analysis. "The National Forensic Service is conducting a precise examination," the official said. "We will look into whether the footage can be made public. We will provide a full explanation that leaves no room for doubt."

A timeline for the National Forensic Service's examination has not yet been set. "We have received the results of the first examination," the official said. "The second examination, as I understand it, involves specialists conducting a more detailed analysis."