Thailand accuses Cambodia of breaking newly signed ceasefire deal

BANGKOK, Thailand

Thailand's army has accused Cambodia of breaching a newly-signed ceasefire deal reached after weeks of deadly clashes that forced nearly one million people from their homes.

In a statement, the Thai army said than more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected flying from the Cambodian side on Sunday night.

The ceasefire took effect at noon local time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday. Both sides agreed to freeze the front lines where they are now, ban reinforcements and allow civilians living in border areas to return as soon as possible.

It had been seen as a breakthrough, which came after days of talks between both countries, with diplomatic encouragement from China and the US.

In a statement on Monday, the Royal Thai Army said Cambodia's actions "constitute provocation and a violation of measures aimed at reducing tensions", adding that they were "inconsistent" with the terms of the ceasefire.

It also said it "may need to reconsider" the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers held in Thailand since July.

Thailand would be "obliged to act in accordance... [if] violations of agreements and national sovereignty continue", it added.

Cambodia has not yet commented.

It comes just hours after China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised the "hard-won" ceasefire, and US President Donald Trump praised the "rapid and fair conclusion".