The two sides have had troops and equipment in the area since July Generals from Thailand and Cambodia are to hold talks in an attempt to resolve a border dispute which led to soldiers exchanging shots and rocket-fire. Cambodia claims two of its soldiers were killed on Wednesday in clashes near the ancient Preah Vihear temple. The fighting prompted Thailand to urge its nationals to leave Cambodia. Tensions have been high since July, when hundreds of soldiers on both sides faced off metres apart, but both sides say they want a peaceful solution. Thailand and Cambodia both claim they own the area around the temple, which became a Unesco World Heritage site in June, reigniting lingering nationalist tensions. The two countries have failed to reach a settlement, despite several rounds of talks. Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said the talks scheduled for Thursday were a good sign. He described this week's clash as "an incident between soldiers and not an invasion by Thailand". UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply concerned" by the violence and urged both sides to show restraint. 'Good neighbour' Both sides claim the other opened fire first on Wednesday, in an exchange that lasted about an hour.
Political tensions drive row In pictures: Preah Vihear Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said two soldiers had been killed and two wounded while Thai officials said five Thai troops had been wounded. Cambodia also claimed that 10 Thai soldiers had been captured, but this was denied by Bangkok. After fighting broke out, Thailand alerted air force jets and readied transport planes to evacuate Thai nationals from Cambodia. But Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said the fighting was "small scale" and that he was committed to reaching a settlement over the issue with Cambodia, which he described as "a good neighbour". 'Death zone' The military stand-off began in July when Cambodian troops detained three Thai protesters who had entered the site illegally. More than 1,000 soldiers from both countries moved into the area, digging trenches into the rough terrain around the temple. TEMPLE DISPUTE TIMELINE 1970s-1990s: Khmer Rouge guerrillas occupy site 2001-2002: Thai troops block access over water row July 2008: Unesco lists temple as a World Heritage Site July 2008: Thai FM quits after court rules he violated constitution for backing Cambodia's Unesco bid July 2008: Both sides move troops to temple area August 2008: Troops withdrawn after high-level talks October 2008: Fighting erupts around temple area Cambodia claimed that Thai troops had recently returned to the area after both sides agreed in August to withdraw their personnel. Thailand has denied that its troops entered Cambodian territory. But on Tuesday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen threatened to turn the area into a "death zone" if the Thai troops did not withdraw. The dispute centres on 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple. The temple is only accessible from Thailand and the area around it is heavily mined - a legacy of Cambodia's long war against the Khmer Rouge guerrillas. An international court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but land surrounding it remains the subject of rival territorial claims. Disputes between the two countries date back centuries when the Thai and Khmer monarchs fought each other for territory and power.
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Preah Vihear Temple (Kao Phra Viharn) 
Today saw high-level talks between Thai and Cambodian military leaders following a border skirmish yesterday which left two Cambodian soldiers dead, injuries on both sides, and ten Thai troops captured. Several hours of talks have led to an agreement for joint military patrols along the disputed border.

Wednesday's exchange of fire in the disputed border region surrounding Preah Vihear Temple is the latest in a dispute over an area of scrubland which both Cambodia and Thailand claim. While each side claims the other initiated the clash, government officials in both capitals have sought to downplay the seriousness of the incident and stress that a negotiated settlement is the only reasonable solution. The disputed territory is a little under five square kilometres and was, in 1962, awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice. The decision caused resentment in Thailand which continues to this day.

Downplaying the incident, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong spoke of the negotiations in positive terms, stressing the skirmish was, "an incident between soldiers and not an invasion by Thailand". Thai Prime Minister, Somchai Wongsawat stressed the need for the dispute over territory to be resolved peacefully.

According to officials, apart from the two Cambodian soldiers who died in the skirmish, an additional two Khmer troops and five Thais were injured. Thailand has denied the claim by Cambodia that ten soldiers were captured in the disputed territory. On the other side of the border, Cambodian officials have said the captives will be returned upon request.
Location of Preah Vihear Temple. 
The dispute over the contested territory flared up in June; UNESCO awarded the Hindu Preah Vihear Temple the status of World Heritage Site as a Cambodian property, bringing the issue back into the spotlight. The 900-year-old temple sits at the centre of a military build-up on both sides of the border and despite an agreed pull-back in August the situation deteriorated when Cambodia asserted that Thai troops had returned to the entrenched positions that now see around 1,000 soldiers from both sides facing each other. The return of Thai military forces saw the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen threaten to turn the area into a "death zone".

United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon spoke yesterday on the incident, expressing grave concern over the escalation of the conflict and loss of life. A spokesperson for the Secretary-General said, "He calls on both parties to exercise utmost restraint and urges them to expedite bilateral talks so that their differences can be resolved peacefully". This is not the first time Ban Ki-moon has spoken on the issue; previously calls for restraint have been issued as the military build-up in the area has continued.

The ongoing dispute and yesterday's escalation have seen moves to take civilians out of harm's way. The government in Bangkok urged Thai citizens in Cambodia to leave the country if they were not there on urgent business. Over 400 returned on a Thai Airways flight following the call to evacuate Thai nationals. With a 2003 dispute and unrest having seen Thailand's embassy in Phnom Penh torched, Cambodian authorities deployed riot police around the building yesterday in case the dispute led to violence. In the disputed region, thousands of Cambodians have left due to the build-up of forces on both sides of the border and increased tensions.

The current flare-up along the border is the second incident this month; on October 3 there was a clash where Thailand claims Cambodian forces crossed the border and fired on Thai rangers causing two injuries. That incident saw both sides exchange protest letters. Thailand claimed that rangers patrolling on their side of the border encountered Cambodian troops and demanded they return across the border. The alleged response was apparently orders from superiors for the Cambodians to begin firing. The strongly-worded complaint stated, "the above-mentioned intrusion of the Cambodian soldiers into Thailand's territory is a serious violation of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Furthermore, the shooting by the Cambodian troops against the unarmed Thai para-military rangers is regarded as a brutal and aggressive act and is contrary to the spirit of friendly relations between Cambodia and Thailand."