THAILAND AND CAMBODIA REACH NEW CEASEFIRE DEAL TO HALT BORDER FIGHTING. (PHOTO).

 Thailand and Cambodia reach new ceasefire deal to halt border fighting

Thailand and Cambodia signed a ceasefire agreement Saturday to halt weeks of armed clashes along their shared border over disputed territory. The agreement took effect at noon local time and prohibits further military movements and any violations of each other’s airspace for military purposes.

The deal also includes a provision for Thailand to release 18 Cambodian soldiers it has held since July, once the ceasefire has held for 72 hours, meeting a key demand from Cambodia. The agreement was signed by defense ministers Tea Seiha of Cambodia and Nattaphon Narkphanit of Thailand at a border checkpoint, following three days of talks by lower-level military officials under the General Border Committee framework. It reaffirms a prior ceasefire that ended five days of fighting in July and incorporates 16 de-escalation measures.

Thailand carried out airstrikes during the recent clashes, including strikes in Cambodia as recently as Saturday morning, according to Cambodian officials. Since early December, Thailand has reported 26 soldiers and one civilian killed in combat, with 44 civilian deaths attributed to the conflict. Cambodia has not released official military casualty figures but reported 30 civilian deaths and 90 injuries. Hundreds of thousands of residents on both sides of the border have been evacuated.

The agreement also addresses longstanding concerns over land mines, calling on both sides to adhere to international rules against deployment. Thai soldiers have been wounded in at least nine incidents this year involving newly placed mines, while Cambodia maintains that many mines are remnants from its civil war. The deal includes clauses to prevent the spread of misinformation, resume border demarcation efforts, and cooperate on combating transnational crimes, particularly online scams originating from organized criminal networks in Cambodia. Both countries have accused each other of initiating the fighting and claim their actions were in self-defense.