Surin (Thailand) (AFP) - A shaky ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia appeared to be holding Tuesday, as military commanders met despite Bangkok’s allegations the truce had been breached with overnight skirmishes.

Following peace talks in Malaysia on Monday, both sides agreed an unconditional ceasefire would start at midnight to end fighting over a smattering of ancient temples in disputed zones along their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border.

On Tuesday, the Thai military said Cambodian troops “had launched armed attacks into several areas” in “a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust”, but said clashes later stopped.

Cambodia’s defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata insisted there had been “no armed clashes against each other in any regions”.

However, both sides said morning meetings between rival military commanders along the border – scheduled as part of the pact – had gone ahead.

Thailand’s army said three meetings on the frontier had seen senior officers agree to de-escalation measures including “a halt on troop reinforcements or movements that could lead to misunderstandings”.

But a foreign affairs spokeswoman for Bangkok’s border crisis centre, Maratee Nalita Andamo, warned on Tuesday afternoon: “In this moment, in the early days of the ceasefire, the situation is still fragile”.

- Deadliest clashes in years -

Cambodian leader Hun Manet and Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai shook hands over the ceasefire deal Monday at peace talks hosted by Malaysia and attended by delegates from the United States and China.

“I saw photos of the two leaders shaking hands,” said 32-year-old pharmacy worker Kittisak Sukwilai in the Thai city of Surin – 50 kilometres from the border.

“I just hope it’s not just a photo op with fake smiles – and that those hands aren’t actually preparing to stab each other in the back.”

In Cambodia’s Samraong city – 20 kilometres from the frontier – an AFP journalist said the sound of blasts stopped in the 30 minutes leading up to midnight, with the lull continuing until midday.

“The frontline has eased since the ceasefire at 12 midnight,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a Tuesday morning message on Facebook.

Jets, rockets and artillery killed at least 42 people since last Thursday and displaced more than 300,000 – prompting intervention from US President Donald Trump over the weekend.

On the Cambodian side of the border, evacuees were seen leaving shelter centres Tuesday to return home, but on the Thai side acting Prime Minister Phumtham urged citizens “to await official instructions” before departing.

The flare-up was the deadliest since violence raged sporadically from 2008-2011 over the territory, claimed by both because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia’s French colonial administrators in 1907.

A joint statement from both countries – as well as Malaysia – said the ceasefire was “a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security”.

- ‘Good faith’ -

Both sides are courting Trump for trade deals to avert his threat of eye-watering tariffs, and the US State Department said its officials had been “on the ground” to shepherd peace talks.

“I have instructed my Trade Team to restart negotiations on Trade,” Trump said in a message on his Truth Social platform, taking credit for the ceasefire deal after it was announced.

“The US and I are still in negotiations,” Thailand’s Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira told reporters on Tuesday. “We’re still waiting for the US to decide whether to accept our proposal.”

Hun Manet thanked Trump for his “decisive” support, while his Thai counterpart Phumtham said the truce should be “carried out in good faith by both sides”.

Each side had already agreed to a truce in principle while accusing the other of undermining peace efforts, trading allegations about the use of cluster bombs and targeting of hospitals.

Thailand says 14 of its soldiers and 15 civilians were killed, while Cambodia has confirmed only eight civilian and five military deaths.

More than 188,000 people have fled Thailand’s border regions, while around 140,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia.

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