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Thailand releases 18 Cambodian soldiers held since July

Cambodian soldiers, who had been captured by Thai soldiers in July, gesture to well-wishers from a bus after their release
Cambodian soldiers, who had been captured by Thai soldiers in July, gesture to well-wishers from a bus after their release

Thailand has released 18 Cambodian soldiers held since July, both governments said, after a fresh ceasefire held for more than three days following weeks of deadly border clashes.

Thailand's foreign ministry confirmed the repatriation of the soldiers to Cambodia, saying it was done "as a demonstration of goodwill and confidence-building", according to a statement.

The Southeast Asian neighbours agreed a truce on Saturday, ending renewed fighting at their border that killed dozens of people and displaced more than a million this month.

Under the truce, Cambodia and Thailand pledged to cease fire, freeze troop movements and cooperate on demining efforts along their disputed frontier.

People line up next to police
Cambodian soldiers are greeted after their release at a checkpoint along the border with Thailand

They also agreed to allow civilians living in border areas to return home as soon as possible.

Cambodia has said its soldiers were captured by Thai forces on 29 July - nearly eight hours after a ceasefire that halted five days of deadly clashes went into effect.

The United States, China and Malaysia brokered a truce to end that round of fighting, but the ceasefire was short-lived.

US President Donald Trump jetted to Malaysia in October to oversee the signing of a follow-on declaration between Thailand and Cambodia, touting new trade deals after the neighbours agreed to prolong their truce.

That pact said that Thailand would "promptly release" the captured Cambodian soldiers, calling them "prisoners of war".

But Thailand suspended the agreement the following month, after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines while on patrol at the border.

The reignited fighting this month - with artillery, tanks, drones and jets - spread to nearly every border province on both sides.

The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of the 800km Thai-Cambodian border, where both sides claim centuries-old temple ruins.

While the two nations agreed to stop fighting, they still need to resolve the demarcation of their disputed border.