Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, the defense ministers of both countries said in a joint statement on Saturday.
Both sides agreed to freeze all troop movements and allow civilians living in border areas to return home, bringing to a halt weeks of intense border clashes that have killed at least 41 people and displaced nearly one million others, BBC reports.
The ceasefire came into effect at midday local time. After remaining in force for 72 hours, 18 Cambodian soldiers being held by Thailand will also be released, the statement said.
The decisive breakthrough came after Thai and Cambodian officials held several days of talks aimed at ending renewed fighting between the two countries.
The joint statement outlined the terms of “de-escalation,” including the cessation of “attacks against civilians, civilian facilities and infrastructure, and military targets of either side.”
“Both sides must avoid firing, advancing, or carrying out unprovoked troop movements toward the positions or forces of the other side,” the statement said.
It also noted that the release of the 18 Cambodian soldiers would take place “in the spirit of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration,” an agreement between the two countries signed at a ceremony attended by U.S. President Donald Trump in October.
That ceasefire agreement collapsed earlier this month when new clashes erupted.
Since then, both sides have blamed each other for violating the truce.
The Thai army said its troops returned fire in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani Province, and that one Thai soldier was killed.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense said Thai forces had launched the initial attack in Preah Vihear Province, insisting that Cambodia did not retaliate.
Clashes continued throughout December. On Friday, Thailand carried out airstrikes in a disputed border region inside Cambodia.
The Royal Thai Air Force said it struck a “fortified military position” after civilians had been evacuated from the area. Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense said the strikes were “indiscriminate attacks” against civilian homes.
Border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia date back more than a century, but tensions escalated in May this year when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash.
Two months later, in July, five days of intense fighting erupted along the border, leaving dozens of soldiers and civilians dead and displacing thousands more.
Following mediation by Malaysia and U.S. President Donald Trump, a fragile ceasefire was negotiated and signed at the end of October.
Trump called the agreement the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.” It required both sides to withdraw heavy weapons from the disputed region and establish a temporary monitoring team.
However, the agreement was suspended by Thailand in November, after Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that the security threat “had not actually decreased.”
