Thailand and Cambodia have signed a ceasefire agreement following 19 days of border clashes that left 96 people dead. In a joint statement released on Saturday, the defense ministers of both countries announced an immediate ceasefire, effective from noon local time. Both sides agreed to maintain their current troop positions without movement and to allow civilians living in border areas to return home. The statement also said that Thailand would release 18 detained Cambodian soldiers within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking effect.

The conflict between the two Southeast Asian neighbors had intensified in recent weeks. Cambodia’s state news agency reported that Thai forces shelled a village in Banteay Meanchey province on Thursday morning, killing one Cambodian civilian. Cambodia’s National Assembly condemned the attack as “brutal and inhumane.” Meanwhile, the Thai military accused Cambodia of firing BM-21 rockets into a village in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, causing extensive damage to civilian infrastructure.

Thai authorities confirmed that 23 Thai soldiers, one civilian, and 41 other civilians were killed during the fighting, underscoring the heavy toll of the border violence.