Thailand has repatriated 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in July, following a new ceasefire agreement that ended weeks of deadly border clashes.
PHNOM PENH: Thailand has released 18 Cambodian soldiers who were captured in July.
Both governments confirmed the repatriation on Wednesday after a fresh ceasefire held for more than three days.
Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said the soldiers arrived on Cambodian soil at around 10:00 am local time.
“I can confirm that our 18 heroic soldiers have safely arrived on Cambodian soil,” Pheaktra told AFP.
Thailand’s foreign ministry said the move was done as a demonstration of goodwill and confidence-building.
The release was a condition of a truce agreed by the Southeast Asian neighbours on Saturday.
That agreement ended renewed fighting that killed dozens and displaced more than a million people this month.
Under the terms, Thailand agreed to return the soldiers within 72 hours if the ceasefire held.
Cambodia has stated its soldiers were captured by Thai forces on July 29.
That was nearly eight hours after an earlier ceasefire halted five days of deadly clashes.
A subsequent pact in October, overseen by US President Donald Trump, said Thailand would promptly release the soldiers.
It referred to the captured personnel as prisoners of war.
Bangkok suspended that agreement the following month after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines.
The recent fighting involved artillery, tanks, drones and jets across nearly every border province.
The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of the 800-kilometre border.
Both sides claim centuries-old temple ruins in the area.
While the new truce has stopped the fighting, the underlying border demarcation issue remains unresolved.
