Pakistan, July 31 -- Cambodia has called on Thailand to immediately release 20 of its soldiers, claiming they were detained during ceasefire violations. The request comes as a fragile truce between the two countries holds for a third day. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet urged swift action to return the soldiers safely.

Fighting between the neighboring Southeast Asian nations erupted last week, killing at least 43 people, many of them civilians, and forcing over 300,000 to flee. A Malaysia-brokered ceasefire on Monday ended five days of intense clashes near their disputed border.

While Cambodia denies any violations of the truce, Thailand accuses Cambodian forces of repeated breaches. In response, Thai officials confirmed holding 20 s...