Thailand, Cambodia agree to ‘immediate and unconditional’ ceasefire

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” with effect from midnight on Monday, AP reported, quoting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The agreement was reached during a meeting that Ibrahim, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai attended, according to Reuters.

The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia – said to be the worst in 13 years – began in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed during a clash. The crisis escalated on Wednesday after a land mine explosion injured five Thai soldiers.

The fighting involved heavy artillery, air strikes and rocket fire across several disputed border areas.

At least 36 persons were killed amid escalated tensions and more than 3,00,000 have been displaced, reported Reuters.

This marked a sharp escalation in a long-running dispute between the countries that contest several stretches of land along their border. At least 28 persons had died in previous clashes between 2008 and 2011.

The ceasefire talks between Bangkok and Phnom Penh were hosted by Ibrahim in his capacity as the head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc for 2025.

After Monday’s meeting, the Malaysian prime minister said both sides had agreed to take steps to return to normalcy. He added that he was ready to deploy a team to...

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