Cambodian soldiers freed by Thailand receive hero's welcome

Eighteen Cambodian soldiers received a hero's welcome home on Wednesday, after Thailand released them as part of a truce deal that ended weeks of deadly fighting along their contested frontier.

A decades-old border dispute between the Southeast Asian neighbours erupted into military clashes several times this year, with the latest round of fighting in December killing dozens of people and displacing more than a million.

Some of the 18 soldiers -- who were captured by Thailand and held for five months as prisoners of war -- smiled, waved and gestured with their palms pressed together to cheering crowds through bus windows in the border province of Pailin, and later in Phnom Penh.

Hundreds of well-wishers lined the streets of the capital, hollering and waving national flags, as a caravan of mini-buses shuttled the returned men and teary-eyed relatives through the city, video from Cambodian state television showed.

One woman in the crowd, Im Sivorn, 53, told AFP their homecoming was like a gift for the new year.

"As a Cambodian, I am very happy to welcome these 18 heroic soldiers back in the country," she said.

The 18 men, each wearing a Cambodian football jersey, met Prime Minister Hun Manet and his wife, Pich Chanmony, later on Wednesday, according to a post of the premier's Facebook page.

"Even though it is a bit late, we have never left brothers behind," Hun Manet wrote in the post.

Kroch Ya, the wife of one of the soldiers captured in late July, said she was "really, really happy" to have her husband home.

"I hugged him. They are all fine," she told AFP.

Cambodia's defence ministry said the soldiers were "released and safely returned to the motherland" through a border crossing on Wednesday morning after being detained for 155 days.

Thailand's foreign ministry said they were repatriated "as a demonstration of goodwill and confidence-building", according to a statement.

Phnom Penh said it was hopeful their release would contribute to "building mutual trust".

- 'Heroic soldiers' -

The two countries agreed to a truce on Saturday, ending renewed military clashes -- with artillery bombardments and air strikes -- that spread to nearly every border province on both sides.

The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border, where both sides claim centuries-old temple ruins.

Under the truce signed on Saturday, Cambodia and Thailand pledged to cease fire, freeze troop movements and cooperate on demining efforts along their border.

They also agreed to allow civilians displaced from border areas by three weeks of fighting to return home as soon as possible, while Thailand was to return the 18 captive Cambodian soldiers within 72 hours, if the ceasefire held.

Cambodia has said its soldiers were captured by Thai forces on July 29 -- nearly eight hours after a ceasefire that halted five days of deadly clashes went into effect.

Five months on, it had been unclear whether or when Bangkok would free the 18 men, after Thailand accused Cambodia of violating their most recent pact by flying more than 250 drones over its territory on Sunday night, and a three-day truce observation period ended Tuesday without an announcement of the soldiers' release.

But notice came from Phnom Penh on Wednesday, with Cambodia's information minister Neth Pheaktra confirming the 18 soldiers had arrived back on Cambodian soil.

- Disputed border -

The United States, China and Malaysia had brokered a truce to end the fighting in July, but the ceasefire was short-lived.

In October, US President Donald Trump jetted to Malaysia's capital to oversee the signing of a follow-on declaration, touting new trade deals after Cambodia and Thailand vowed to prolong their truce.

That pact said Thailand would "promptly release" the captured Cambodian soldiers.

But Bangkok suspended the agreement the following month, after Thai troops were wounded by landmines while on patrol at the border.

While the two nations agreed on Saturday to stop fighting, they still need to resolve the demarcation of their disputed border.

Cambodia said on Monday it had requested Thailand join a bilateral meeting in Cambodia in early January "to discuss and continue survey and demarcation work".

But Bangkok said Tuesday the task may need to wait for the next government, after Thailand holds general elections in February.