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PHNOM PENH - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday warned Thailand to immediately withdraw its troops from a disputed border area after the neighbours failed to reach an agreement at the negotiating table.
"If they cannot withdraw tonight, tomorrow they must withdraw," Hun Sen told reporters.
"We try to be patient, but I told the Thai foreign minister today that the area is a life-and-death battle zone," he added.
His comments came after talks with Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornviwat in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.
Sompong also met with his counterpart Hor Namhong, who earlier warned of the risk of a "large-scale armed conflict".
Cambodian military officials said earlier that 80 Thai troops had entered the disputed area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
Tensions between the neighbours first flared in July after the temple was awarded world heritage status by the United Nations cultural body UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, but surrounding land remains in dispute.
Tensions escalated into a military confrontation in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks.
The two countries have swapped accusations of violating each other's territory in the dispute.
Both sides agreed to pull back in mid-August, leaving just a few dozen soldiers stationed near the temple.
But talks on the eventual withdrawal of troops were postponed later that month amid political upheaval in Thailand.
At least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded when units exchanged gunfire during a brief clash on October 3 near the temple.
Much of the Cambodian-Thai border remains in dispute, and the slow pace of mine clearance has delayed demarcation. - AFP/vm
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