Bangkok (TDI): Thailand and Cambodia on Saturday agreed to halt weeks of intense border clashes, bringing an end to the worst fighting between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in years.
The ceasefire, announced in a joint statement by the defense ministers of both countries, took effect at noon local time. Under the agreement, both sides committed to maintaining current troop deployments along the disputed border and refraining from any further military movement.
“Both sides agree to maintain current troop deployments without further movement,” the statement said, warning that any reinforcement would escalate tensions and undermine long-term efforts to resolve the dispute.
The agreement was signed by Thai Defense Minister Natthaphon Nakrphanit and Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Seiha. The statement was released by Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense on social media.
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The truce ends nearly 20 days of hostilities that involved fighter jet sorties, rocket exchanges, and artillery fire. At least 101 people were killed in the clashes, while more than half a million civilians were displaced on both sides of the border.
The fighting flared up again in early December following the collapse of a previous ceasefire brokered in July with the assistance of US President Donald Trump. That earlier agreement had temporarily halted violence before tensions resurfaced.
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Both governments have not yet announced follow-up talks, but officials said the ceasefire was a crucial first step toward restoring stability and preventing further escalation along the disputed frontier.
