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The handover was delayed by one day due to Thailand’s concerns over alleged ceasefire violations, but took place following sustained diplomatic pressure from China to ensure the agreement’s implementation.

Tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border erupted earlier this month and continued for weeks, displacing around one million people.

The agreement includes freezing front lines, banning troop reinforcements and allowing civilians living in border areas to return as soon as possible.

The 18 Cambodian soldiers, dressed in civilian clothes, were escorted through a border checkpoint and handed over to Cambodian authorities.

Their capture in July fueled nationalist sentiment in Cambodia, and their release was one of the Cambodian government’s key demands in ceasefire talks with Thailand.

Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the release was a “gesture of goodwill” and expressed hope that Cambodia would reciprocate with “concrete actions.”