BANGKOK — Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Saturday to an immediate ceasefire, halting nearly three weeks of intense border fighting that killed dozens of people and displaced close to one million civilians along their disputed frontier.

The ceasefire took effect at noon local time (0500 GMT) following a meeting of the 3rd Special General Border Committee, co-chaired by the defense ministers of Thailand and Cambodia, according to a joint statement issued by the Cambodian prime minister’s office.

Thai media reported that the situation along the border in Sa Kaeo province had stabilized after the agreement came into force.

Under the deal, both sides committed to an immediate halt to all armed hostilities and pledged to avoid unprovoked fire, troop advances, or movements toward opposing positions.

The ceasefire applies across the entire Thai-Cambodian border and covers military targets, civilians, and infrastructure.

Both countries also agreed to maintain their current troop deployments, with no further movements or patrols toward each other’s positions as part of initial de-escalation measures.

Shortly before the ceasefire took effect, a Thai soldier was injured after stepping on a landmine during an operation in Si Sa Ket province, the Royal Thai Army said, reporting the incident about 30 minutes before the truce began.

As part of confidence-building steps, Thailand agreed to return 18 Cambodian soldiers who have been in Thai custody since July, once the ceasefire has been fully observed for 72 hours.

The joint statement stressed that the truce does not prejudice existing border demarcation disputes.

Both sides agreed to resume survey and demarcation work through the Joint Boundary Commission at the earliest opportunity, prioritizing populated border areas and ensuring the safety of joint survey teams, including protection from landmines.

The agreement also allows displaced civilians to return safely and with dignity to their homes and livelihoods.

Earlier on Saturday, Cambodia accused Thai forces of firing around 500 artillery shells into border areas and carrying out drone and air strikes near civilian locations in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces. Thai authorities did not immediately respond to or confirm the claims.

Meanwhile, Cambodia said its foreign minister, Prak Sokhonn, will attend a tripartite meeting with Thailand and China in Yunnan province on Sunday and Monday, at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, to discuss the situation.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed that Thailand’s foreign minister had also been invited.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim welcomed the ceasefire, saying the decision to halt fighting reflected a shared recognition that restraint was necessary, particularly to protect civilians.

He noted that verification by an ASEAN observer team and direct communication between defense authorities provided a basis for stability.

The latest clashes erupted on Dec. 8 following a border skirmish that wounded two Thai soldiers.

Since then, about 99 people have been killed, according to official figures.

Thai authorities said 26 Thai soldiers and one civilian were killed, along with 41 civilians who died due to what they described as collateral effects. Cambodia reported 31 civilian deaths.

Thailand and Cambodia have a long-running border dispute that has periodically flared into violence, including clashes in July that left at least 48 people dead. — Agencies