By: The Trek News Desk
Thailand has freed 18 Cambodian soldiers who had been in custody since July, following deadly clashes along the shared border. The release was carried out under the terms of a ceasefire agreement reached between the two countries over the weekend.
The handover was delayed by a day after Thailand raised concerns over alleged violations of the truce. However, following continued diplomatic engagement, particularly involving China, the process moved forward as planned.
Tensions along the Thailand-Cambodia border had escalated sharply earlier this month, triggering weeks of violence and forcing nearly one million civilians to flee their homes. Under the ceasefire agreement, both sides agreed to maintain current front-line positions, halt troop reinforcements and facilitate the return of displaced residents to border areas at the earliest.
The released Cambodian soldiers, dressed in civilian clothing, were escorted across a border checkpoint and formally handed over to Cambodian authorities. Their detention since July had become a sensitive issue in Cambodia, fuelling nationalist sentiment and remaining a key demand of Phnom Penh during ceasefire negotiations.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the release as a “gesture of goodwill” and expressed hope that Cambodia would respond with constructive steps of its own. Cambodia confirmed the return of its personnel, with its defence ministry stating that the development could help strengthen mutual trust and confidence between the two nations.
According to the ceasefire terms, the soldiers were to be released within 72 hours. The delay occurred after Bangkok accused Phnom Penh of breaching the agreement by deploying more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles into Thai airspace on Sunday. Despite these allegations, the ceasefire currently appears to be holding.
The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back over a century, but tensions intensified earlier this year after a cultural incident at a contested temple site. In May, a Cambodian soldier was killed during a clash, followed by five days of intense fighting in July that resulted in dozens of military and civilian casualties and widespread displacement.
Although a fragile ceasefire was initially reached in July and formally signed in October with mediation by U.S. President Donald Trump, renewed hostilities earlier this month had threatened to unravel the agreement.
Source: News Agencies
