Calm held for a second straight day along the Cambodia-Thailand border on Sunday after the two sides reached a cease-fire agreement, Cambodian defense officials said.
Speaking at a news briefing, Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said the situation on the frontline has remained stable since noon Saturday, when the cease-fire took effect, state-run Agence Kampuchea Presse reported.
The Thai military also confirmed that violence had subsided, although some movement was observed in certain locations, according to Thai media outlet Khaosod.
The two Southeast Asian countries signed a cease-fire agreement Saturday, ending nearly 20 days of clashes that killed dozens and displaced almost 1 million civilians along their disputed border.
Under the agreement, the sides committed to an immediate halt to all hostilities involving any weapon and pledged to avoid unprovoked fire, troop advances, or movements toward each other’s positions.
They also agreed to maintain current troop numbers and refrain from reinforcements along the border to prevent further escalation.
Thailand also agreed to return all 18 Cambodian soldiers it has had in its custody since July, after the cease-fire has been fully maintained for 72 hours.
The two countries' top diplomats are expected to meet on Monday during a tripartite meeting hosted by China in southwestern Yunnan province.
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.
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.
