Cambodian and Thai troops fought heavy gunbattles along their disputed border yesterday, leaving three soldiers dead in a major flare-up of a long running feud over an ancient temple.

Soldiers traded rocket, machinegun and mortar fire near the 11 th-century Preah Vihear temple on the frontier, following a brief exchange of shots earlier in the day, officials from both sides said.

The same area was the scene of several clashes last year after Cambodia successfully applied for United Nations world heritage status for the ruins in July, with four soldiers killed in a battle there in October.

"We are fighting with each other, it is serious gunfire. l\vo of our soldiers have been killed," Cambodian government spokesman Khicu Kanharith said. "The gunfire is continuing in at least two areas," he added.

One Thai soldier was also killed. Seni Chittakasem, the governor of Thailand’s Si Sa Ket province, told AFP Hospital officials said the dead man was shot in the chest and that 10 others were wounded, two of them critically.

Military commanders later held talks to ease tensions near the flashpoint temple, ownership of which was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the International Court of Justice, although the land around the ruins remains disputed.

But a war of words continued between the two sides after the clash, coming just one week before the prime ministers of the neighbouring countries are due to meet at a key regional summit inThailand.

"This is an intended aggressive invasion by the Thai military," said Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong. "The foreign ministry will... write a protest letter about the invasion by Thailand."