The Thai and Cambodian leaders have agreed to a ceasefire in Putrajaya, Malaysia, to end their deadliest conflict in over a decade. The ASEAN regional bloc’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim hosted talks between the two nations, where both sides agreed to halt hostilities and resume direct communications. Anwar announced that an immediate ceasefire would take effect from midnight tonight. The Southeast Asian neighbors accuse each other of starting the fighting last week, which escalated with heavy artillery bombardment and Thai air strikes along their 817-km (508-mile) land border. The tension between Thailand and Cambodia has intensified since the killing of a Cambodian soldier in May. Both sides reinforced border troops amid a diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand’s fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai expressed hope that the solutions announced by Prime Minister Anwar will set a condition for bilateral discussions to return to normalcy and as a foundation for future de-escalation of forces.
Thai and Cambodian leaders have agreed to ceasefire after five days of intense fighting.
