So far, 4,285 Cambodian families of 17,200 people have been evacuated in the three days of armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai troops over the disputed border area, a senior government official said Sunday.

The people have been evacuated to safe shelters in Oddar Meanchey province's Samrong district, some 30 kilometers from the fighting zone, Nhim Vanda, the first vice-president of the Cambodian National Committee for Disaster Management, said on Sunday.

The clashes broke out at the Ta Moan and Ta Krabei temples in Oddar Meanchey province since Friday, causing casualties on both sides and damage to the temples and villagers' properties.

During the armed clashes, six Cambodian soldiers were killed and 16 others injured.

While on the Thai side, four soldiers were dead and 17 others injured, according to a report from Bangkok.

The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated.

Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. But Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 sq km of scrub next to the temple. Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand had a border conflict, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in deaths on both sides.

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