Cambodian police officers stand guard as they wait for 18 soldiers released after being captured and held by the Thai army, at former Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP
Thailand on Wednesday (December 31, 2025) released 18 Cambodian soldiers it had detained since July under the renewed ceasefire the two countries agreed on the weekend to end a border conflict, Cambodian and Thai authorities said.
The Southeast Asian neighbours agreed on a ceasefire that took effect at noon (0500 GMT) on Saturday (December 27, 2025), halting 20 days of fighting that killed at least 101 people and displaced more than half a million on both sides, and included fighter-jet sorties, exchanges of rocket fire and artillery barrages.
The soldiers were due to be returned on Tuesday (December 30, 2025), but Thailand over alleged breaches of the ceasefire deal, which Cambodia denied.
Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata said the soldiers were handed over at a border checkpoint at 10 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Wednesday after 155 days in Thai custody.
Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said the soldiers had been treated “in
The border clashes reignited early this month, following the breakdown in a ceasefire deal that U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim helped broker to halt a previous round of conflict in July.
Published – December 31, 2025 10:54 am IST
