Thailand, Cambodia dial down tensions after clash in contested border area
Defense officials from Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to return their troops to positions they held before a fatal clash in a contested border area. Since last month's incident, both sides had been beefing up their military presence along the frontier.
Military representatives from the two countries held a meeting over the issue on Sunday.
After the talks, the Thai army said it will redeploy its soldiers to positions the two sides agreed on last year.
Cambodia's defense ministry says it will send its forces to "appropriate areas" to reduce tensions.
The countries' armed forces exchanged fire on May 28th. One Cambodian soldier died in the brief skirmish.
The confrontation prompted Thailand to tighten border security with Cambodia. On Saturday, Bangkok said it will cut operating hours at some border crossings and limit tourism in both directions.
The countries are set to hold more talks this weekend. Cambodia proposes taking the dispute to the International Court of Justice, but Thailand favors bilateral negotiations.
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