BANGKOK (AP) -- Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged artillery fire Sunday in a third day of fighting that has killed 10 soldiers and uprooted thousands of villagers from their homes.
Officials from both sides said the clashes over disputed territory lasted about two hours Sunday morning. Cambodian military officials said the shooting resumed in the afternoon for several hours.
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon called for a cease-fire, but the prospects for peace appeared shaky, with the two sides disagreeing on what triggered the fighting and differing on how to negotiate the conflicting territorial claims underlying the crisis.
Thailand reported no new casualties, after four of its soldiers were killed and 17 wounded over the previous two days. Witnesses saw one Cambodian soldier and a Cambodian television journalist wounded Sunday. Colleagues said the journalist suffered a head wound but did not appear seriously hurt. Cambodia earlier reported the deaths of six soldiers.
The dispute between the neighbors involves small swaths of land along the border, with nationalistic politics fueling tensions. Clashes have erupted several times since 2008, when Cambodia's 11th-century Preah Vihear temple was given U.N. World Heritage status over Thai objections.
The current round of clashes is the first reported since February, when eight soldiers and civilians were killed near the Preah Vihear temple. The latest fighting is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of there.
Indonesia, a fellow member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has tried to mediate, but its efforts have been stymied so far by Thailand's reluctance to allow Indonesian military observers in the area of dispute. Thailand insists the problem should be solved through bilateral talks with Cambodia, but Cambodia wants third-party mediation.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa is to visit Cambodia on Monday in another attempt to mediate the conflict, according to a ministry official who oversees Asian-Pacific affairs, Hamzah Thayeb.
"We are trying to do the best for the two sides to continue to resolve their differences through peaceful means," Thayeb said, adding that observers could only be sent if approved by both sides.
On Saturday, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said his government is willing to accept Indonesia's assistance in solving the crisis, but he was awaiting approval from Thailand's defense ministry.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban has called on Cambodia and Thailand to implement an effective and verifiable cease-fire.
A U.N. statement late Saturday said Ban believes the dispute cannot be resolved by military means, so the two countries must engage in a serious dialogue to resolve the underlying problems.
Each side has accused the other of starting the latest fighting, which has mainly involved artillery duels at long range.
Thailand rejected accusations Saturday that it had used chemical weapons against Cambodian troops.
A Cambodian defense ministry statement charged that Thailand had fired 75- and 105-millimeter shells "loaded with poisonous gas" into Cambodian territory, but did not elaborate. Col. Suos Sothea, a Cambodian field commander, said separately that Thailand had used both cluster shells - anti-personnel weapons banned by many countries - and artillery shells that gave off a debilitating gas.
Kasit said the allegations were not true.
Cluster munitions contain dozens or hundreds of small bomblets that scatter over vast areas. Some can lie dormant for decades until disturbed, posing enormous danger to civilians.
Thailand acknowledged using cluster-type munitions in border fighting in February, but argued that they were not of the type banned from use by 108 countries under an international treaty. Thailand has not signed the pact, but has publicly pledged not to use such weapons.
The fighting comes as Thailand's military raises its profile in domestic politics ahead of general elections expected by early July. The army previously effectively vetoed a plan to station Indonesian observers to monitor the border situation.
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Associated Press writers Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh and Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
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