Cambodia confirmed that Thailand on Wednesday released 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in July, after a fresh ceasefire held for more than three days following weeks of deadly border clashes.
"I can confirm," Phnom Penh's information minister, Neth Pheaktra, told AFP when asked if the soldiers had been released and re-entered Cambodian territory.
The Southeast Asian neighbours agreed on a ceasefire that took effect at noon (0500 GMT) on Saturday, 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 border clashes reignited early this month, following the breakdown in a ceasefire deal that US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim helped broker to halt a previous round of conflict in July.
Under the agreement signed by the defence ministers of both countries on Saturday, Thailand said that after the ceasefire held for 72 hours, it would release 18 Cambodian soldiers who have been in detention since July.
On Tuesday, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said the ceasefire was fragile and needed both sides to ensure that it was sustained and that bilateral relations were gradually repaired.
"The ceasefire has only just been agreed, so there is fragility," Sihasak told reporters. "We should avoid instigation or things that could diminish the ceasefire," he said.
On Monday, the Thai army said Cambodia had breached the ceasefire by flying more than 250 drones over Thailand on Sunday night, and threatened to reconsider the decision to hand over the detained Cambodian soldiers.
Cambodian authorities strongly rejected the accusation and issued an order prohibiting the use of drones across the country.
The Thai foreign ministry also sent a formal protest to Cambodia after a Thai soldier lost a limb on Monday in a landmine blast at a border area.
Landmine incidents were a catalyst for the renewed clashes.
China's foreign minister hosted two days of talks with his Thai and Cambodian counterparts, reaching an agreement on Monday that the two countries would work to rebuild mutual trust and gradually consolidate the ceasefire.
