Ceasefire at Thai-Cambodia border

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SAMRONG (Cambodia), Apr 28 (AFP): A fragile ceasefire halted the bloodiest clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in decades Thursday, after seven days of fighting left 15 dead and around 75,000 civilians displaced. Both sides remained cautious after local-level military negotiations produced an agreement to end hostilities around temple complexes deep in the jungle on their shared border. Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the deal was a "good sign", but added that Cambodian troops in the area had been reinforced. "We have to wait and see whether real peace has been achieved," he told reporters. The country's powerful army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha said both sides would monitor the situation. "If there is no clash before tomorrow morning the situation will be positively resolved," he said. Cambodia, which was the first to announce a halt to fighting earlier Thursday, also struck a note of caution about the permanence of the agreement. "The situation remains quiet for now," Cambodian field commander Suos Socheat told the news agency. "But our troops are still on alert because we don't trust them yet," he said. The Cambodian defence ministry said in a statement that the commanders had agreed at the talks to reopen a border gate and "create a climate to allow civilians to return home". Both countries have blamed each other for sparking the violence. One Thai soldier died on Thursday morning, bringing the total number of the country's troops killed since the fighting began last Friday to six, while eight have died on the Cambodian side. Bangkok has said a Thai civilian has also been killed. Heavy weapons fire has also strayed towards villages around the frontier, causing an estimated 45,000 people in Thailand and 30,000 in Cambodia to flee their homes. The neighbours traded accusations during the conflict, including Cambodian claims that Thailand used spy planes and poison gas-an allegation denied by Bangkok.