THAILAND released 18 Cambodian prisoners of war today as part of a ceasefire deal ending months of border clashes.

They were handed over at the border checkpoint between Thailand’s Chanthaburi province and Cambodia’s Pailin province, where the ceasefire agreement was signed on Saturday.

Cambodia and Thailand gave differing accounts of the men’s capture at the end of July when an earlier ceasefire deal came into effect.

Phnom Penh said soldiers had approached a Thai position to offer post-fighting greetings, but Bangkok said the soldiers had appeared hostile when they entered Thai territory.

Saturday’s ceasefire deal said the soldiers would be freed if the end of combat was sustained for 72 hours after the truce came into effect, but the release was delayed when Thailand said it needed to evaluate the situation after spotting 250 Cambodian drones along the border since the weekend.