Thai soldiers were rescued by a helicopter after spending five days stranded in a jungle near the Cambodian border.

The 19-man reconnaissance unit was deployed on July 22 to locate a Cambodian BM-21 Grad rocket launcher.

However, they were left stranded as heavy rains triggered flash floods that cut off their route in the dense forest. The team became unreachable on July 23.

The Thai army's Third Aviation Battalion said a Bell 212 helicopter conducted three flights into the area to collect the rangers, who were trapped in the woods for 137 hours. They were all found safe but exhausted and injured.

The rescue was complete on Tuesday, July 29, with no fatalities reported.

A bloody military confrontation flared in long-disputed border areas as Thailand and Cambodia accused each other of instigating the violence on July 24.

The Thai army claimed the clash began when six armed Cambodian soldiers approached a Thai outpost after a drone was heard near a disputed Khmer temple. Thai troops said they shouted warnings and claimed the Cambodians opened fire first.

However, Cambodia's Defence Ministry accused Thailand of provoking the violence, saying its forces acted in self-defence.

Officials said at least 43 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced on both sides of the border.

Both sides have reached a truce at midnight on Monday, following talks facilitated by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

He said: 'This is a vital first step toward de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security.'

US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened to pause trade deals with both countries if clashes continued.

He said after the ceasefire was forged: 'By ending this War, we have saved thousands of lives ... I have now ended many Wars in just six months — I am proud to be the President of PEACE!'