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Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an “immediate” ceasefire on Saturday, pledging to halt weeks of deadly fighting along their disputed border, according to a joint statement issued by the Cambodian side.
The long-running border dispute between the two neighbors reignited earlier this month, breaking a previous truce and resulting in at least 47 deaths, according to official figures.
The renewed clashes also displaced around one million people from border areas.
The joint statement, signed by the defense ministers of both countries, said the ceasefire would take effect at 12 p.m. local time on Dec. 27.
It will apply to all types of weapons and cover attacks against civilians, civilian objects and infrastructure, as well as military targets, across all affected areas.
Under the agreement, both sides committed to freezing all troop movements along the border and allowing civilians who fled the fighting to return home as soon as possible.
The statement said the two countries would also cooperate on demining activities and efforts to combat cybercrime.
The ceasefire is intended to end fighting over a number of ancient temples located in disputed zones along the shared frontier, which have long been a source of tension between Thailand and Cambodia.
The agreement comes after three days of border talks that were announced following a crisis meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which both Thailand and Cambodia are members.
The United States, China and Malaysia also pressed the two sides to restore the ceasefire and de-escalate tensions.
The latest ceasefire follows a previous truce brokered by the United States, China and Malaysia in July, which had ended five days of intense fighting.
That agreement, however, was short-lived, and clashes resumed in subsequent weeks.
Saturday’s deal aims to stop further bloodshed and stabilize the border after the latest surge in violence, which has caused significant casualties and displacement on both sides.
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