Thai and Cambodian troops battled for the fourth consecutive time on Monday for a small yet symbolically valued piece of territory along their shared boarders. The clashes have become bloody and deadly.

The clashes are rooted on two ancient temples: Ta Moan and Ta Krabey. These two temples are located 160 kilometers west of a temple on top of a cliff – Preah Vihear.

Since the violent dispute started on Friday, a total of 12 soldiers were killed and many others were wounded. Civilians in the area, accounting to more than a thousand people, were evacuated from their houses as announced by officials of both governments.

Both Thailand and Cambodia accuse the other of starting the fight. The foreign ministry of Cambodia accused armed troops of Thailand for launching long-range artillery attacks. However, the foreign ministry of Thailand said that Cambodia initiated the fight with unprovoked attacks.

The United Nations said on Saturday that they urge both countries to agree on a verifiable and effective ceasefire. The Indonesian government, as the current chair of the Association of Southern Asian Nations or the ASEAN, scheduled meetings between the foreign ministers of all three countries. However, the meeting was cancelled on Monday because a diplomatic resolution is not yet clear.

Thailand and Cambodia have been fighting for decades over the delineation of the countries’ land border. Just recently, they also started fighting over maritime territory because it is believed to be rich in oil and mineral deposits.