PUTRAJAYA: Thailand and Cambodia`s leaders agreed to an `unconditional` ceasefire on Monday, after five days of combat along their jungle-clad frontier that has killed at least 36 people.

Nearly 300,000 people have fled as the two sides fired artil1ery, rockets and guns in a battle over the long-disputed area, which is home to a smattering of ancient temples.

The flare-up was the deadliest since violence raged sporadically from 2008-2011 over the territory, claimed by both sides because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia`s French colonial administrators in 1907.

Reading a joint statement from the leaders of both countries after peace talks, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said they had agreed `an immediate and unconditional ceasefire` with effect from midnight on Monday.

`This is a vit al first step toward s de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,` he said at a press conference in Malaysia`s administrative capital Putrajaya, flanked by Thai acting Prime MinisterPhumthamWechayachai and Cambodia`s Prime Minister Hun Manet.Anwar said a meeting of military commanders from both sides would take place on Tuesday morning, before the countries` cross-border committee would meet in Cambodia on Aug 4.

As the deal was being announced, a journalist in the Cambodian city of Samraong 17 kilometres from the fraught frontier reported hearing continuing artillery blasts.

Butlocals expressed reliefthat atruce hadbeen struck.

`I am very happy with the ceasefire. This will let people go back home and children go back to school,` 48-year-old Cambodian vendor Soeung Chhivling said.

`Please stop the clashes.

`Very good results` US President Donald Trump who both nations are courting for trade deals to avert the threat of eye-watering tariffs intervened over the weekend, and said both sides had agreed to `quickly work out` a truce.

`Today we had a very good meeting and very good results, said Cambodia`s Hun Manet, thanking Trump for his `decisive` support and saying the truce would serve as `a founda-tion for future de-escalation` Ahead of the summit, Thailand and Cambodia had traded fresh fire and barbed accusations.

Cambodia`s defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said it was `the fifth day that Thailand has invaded Cambodia`s territory with heavy weapons and with the deployment of a lot of troops`.

And as he departed Bangkok airport, Phumtham told reporters he did not believe Cambodia was `acting in good faith`. After the talks hosted by Anwar chair of the Asean bloc of which both Thailand and Cambodia are members Phumtham called for the truce to be `carried out in good faith by both sides`.

`Thailand decides for peaceful resolution, while continuing to protect our sovereignty and the lives of our people,` he said.

`Highly tense` On the eve of the talks, Thailand`s military said Cambodian snipers were camped in one of the contested temples, and accused Phnom Penh of surging troops along the border and hammering Thai territory with rockets.-AFP