Eighteen Cambodian soldiers have received a hero's welcome home after Thailand released them as part of a truce deal that ended weeks of deadly fighting along their contested frontier.
A decades-old border dispute between the South-East Asian neighbours erupted into military clashes several times this year, with the latest round of fighting in December killing dozens of people and displacing more than a million others.
Some of the 18 soldiers, who were captured by Thailand and held for five months as prisoners of war, smiled, waved and gestured with their palms pressed together to cheering crowds through bus windows in the border province of Pailin, and later in Phnom Penh.
Hundreds of well-wishers lined the streets of the capital, hollering and waving national flags, as a caravan of mini-buses shuttled the returned men and teary-eyed relatives through the city, video from Cambodian state television showed.
One woman in the crowd, Im Sivorn, 53, told AFP their homecoming was like a gift for the new year.
"As a Cambodian, I am very happy to welcome these 18 heroic soldiers back in the country," she said.
Voeung Vy, the father of one of the soldiers captured in late July, said he would welcome his son home in Phnom Penh.
"I am so happy. I can't wait to see him. I miss him so much," the 51-year-old told AFP.
Cambodia's defence ministry said the 18 soldiers were "released and safely returned to the motherland" through a border crossing on Wednesday morning, local time, after being detained for 155 days.
Thailand's foreign ministry said they were repatriated "as a demonstration of goodwill and confidence-building", according to a statement.
Phnom Penh said it was hopeful their release would contribute to "building mutual trust".
Release a key part of ceasefire deal
Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a truce on Saturday, ending renewed military clashes that spread to nearly every border province on both sides.
The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre border, where both sides claim centuries-old temple ruins.
Under the truce signed on Saturday, Cambodia and Thailand pledged to cease fire, freeze troop movements, and cooperate on de-mining efforts along their border.
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