Thailand and Cambodia's leaders agreed to an "unconditional" ceasefire Monday, after five days of combat along their jungle-clad frontier that has killed at least 36 people. More than 200,000 people have fled as the two sides fired artillery, rockets and guns in a battle over the long-disputed area, which is home to ancient temples.
The flare-up was the deadliest since violence raged sporadically from 2008-2011 over the territory, claimed by both sides because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907.
Reading a joint statement from the leaders of both countries after peace talks, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said they had agreed "an immediate and unconditional ceasefire" with effect from midnight Monday. "This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security," he said at a press conference in Malaysia's administrative capital Putrajaya, flanked by Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet. Anwar said a meeting of military commanders from both sides would take place on Tuesday morning, before the countries' cross-border committee would meet in Cambodia on August 4. As the deal was being announced, an AFP journalist in the Cambodian city of Samraong 17 kilometres (10 miles) from the fraught frontier reported hearing continuing artillery blasts. US President Donald Trump who both nations are courting for trade deals to avert the threat of eye-watering tariffs intervened over the weekend, and said both sides had agreed to "quickly work out" a truce. "Today we had a very good meeting and very good results," said Cambodia's Hun Manet, thanking Trump for his "decisive" support and saying the truce would serve as "a foundation for future de-escalation".
