Thailand, Cambodia agree to ceasefire after clashes displace more than 300,000 people

The leaders of Cambodia and Thailand agreed to ceasefire on Monday, effective at midnight, after five days of fierce fighting that has displaced more than 300,000 people and marked their deadliest conflict in more than a decade.

After days of efforts by Malaysia, chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, the United States and China to bring both sides to the table, the two countries' leaders agreed to end hostilities, resume direct communications and create a mechanism to implement the truce. At least 36 people have been killed in the fighting, mostly civilians.

Following more than two hours of talks at his official residence in Putrajaya, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, flanked by Thai and Cambodian leaders, said he was ready to deploy a team to observe and ensure implementation.

The Southeast Asian neighbours have wrangled for decades over border territory and have been on a conflict footing since the killing of a Cambodian soldier in a skirmish late in May, which led to a troop buildup on both sides. A full-blown diplomatic crisis brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse.

Both sides accuse each other of starting the fighting last week, and both quickly deployed heavy artillery at multiple points along their 800-kilometre land border. Thailand flew air raids with an F-16 fighter jets.