UPDATE WITH MORE INFORMATION, CHANGE HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE
By Anadolu staff
Cambodia and Thailand agreed to implement an immediate ceasefire Saturday to halt three weeks of fighting that has left dozens dead and many others injured, officials said.
The agreement was announced in a joint statement issued after a meeting of the 3rd Special General Border Committee (GBC), a body co-chaired by the defense ministers of both Southeast Asian countries, according to the Cambodian Prime Minister's office.
The ceasefire took effect on Saturday, starting at 12.00 noon local time (0500GMT).
Under the arrangement, both sides commit to halting all armed hostilities and pledge to avoid unprovoked fire, troop advances, or movements toward each other’s positions.
The ceasefire applies across all areas along the border and covers military targets, civilians, and infrastructure, the statement said.
Under the agreement, Thailand will return all 18 soldiers, who have been in Thai custody since July, to Cambodia after the ceasefire has been fully maintained for 72 hours.
As part of de-escalation measures, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to maintain their current troop deployments with no further movements, including patrols toward opposing positions.
The joint statement emphasized that the ceasefire is without prejudice to existing border demarcation issues.
Both countries also agreed to resume survey and demarcation work through the Joint Boundary Commission at the earliest opportunity, prioritizing affected border areas where civilians reside and ensuring the safety of joint survey teams, including protection from landmines.
The agreement also allows displaced civilians to return safely and with dignity to their homes and livelihoods.
Earlier in the morning, Cambodian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata claimed that the Thai military fired around 500 artillery shells into several border areas, while drones dropped 10 warheads and F-16 fighter jets carried out airstrikes near civilian locations, according to state-run Agence Kampuchea Presse.
The spokeswoman alleged that Thailand also used heavy artillery, rocket launchers, tanks, armored vehicles, drones and infantry units in attacks on parts of Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces.
However, there was no immediate reaction or confirmation from the Thai side to the latest Cambodian claim.
Around 99 people have been killed over the past 20 days since clashes resumed on Dec. 8, a day after a border skirmish wounded two Thai soldiers.
In total, 26 Thai soldiers and a civilian were killed in the fighting. Additionally, 41 other civilians died due to “collateral effects" amid the border clashes, according to Thai authorities.
Cambodia’s Interior Ministry said 31 Cambodian civilians were killed.
Nearly 1 million people have been displaced on both sides since the renewed clashes began.
Thailand and Cambodia have a long-running border dispute that has repeatedly erupted into violence, including clashes in July in which at least 48 people were killed.