Thailand Releases 18 Cambodian Soldiers After Recent Ceasefire

Thailand released 18 Cambodian soldiers on Wednesday after a successful 72-hour ceasefire ended months of deadly border hostilities. The repatriation at a border checkpoint followed an agreement signed by defense ministers and overseen by Mirjana Spoljaric from the Red Cross. Previous mediation efforts involved Donald Trump and Anwar Ibrahim before the current deal established military freezes and joint efforts against cybercrime.The release of the soldiers, who were held for 155 days, followed a brief delay caused by accusations of unauthorized drone flights over the conflict zone. Both nations described the move as a demonstration of goodwill intended to normalize relations and facilitate the reunification of families displaced by the fighting. The recent conflict resulted in more than 100 fatalities and the displacement of approximately one million people along the shared border.While Thailand maintained that the detention was permitted under the Geneva Conventions, Cambodian officials used the situation to generate nationalist support during the combat. The current agreement mandates cooperation on demining and a freeze on military positions to prevent further escalation in the disputed territories. Sok Lou welcomed the returning men as heroes after they were transported from the Chanthaburi checkpoint to the city of Pailin.