"Dozens lined the streets outside Phnom Penh International Airport on Wednesday to welcome home 18 Cambodian soldiers who had been held in Thailand since their capture in July. Footage shows crowds cheering while waving Cambodian flags outside the airport as police vehicles escorted buses carrying the returning soldiers. "I am very excited. It is a feeling of excitement that I have never had before. This is like a present for the New Year," said Chem Sreymom, a local. "We are quite happy," added Ly Asimas. "Previously, we knew the news was not certain, because Thailand has been tricky. Today, it is certain and it is an end-of-year present for all Cambodian people who have been anticipating this." The soldiers were originally scheduled to be released on Tuesday, but Thai authorities delayed the handover over alleged violations of a de-escalation agreement reached on December 27. Thailand claimed Cambodia breached the deal by launching more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into Thai territory. Cambodian officials rejected the accusation, though Phnom Penh ordered a nationwide ban on drone use on Monday. The 72-hour ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia expired on Tuesday. The two countries signed a China-brokered ceasefire on Saturday after talks in Thailand's Chanthaburi province, amid border clashes that have killed more than 100 people and displaced nearly a million since December."