SIEM REAP, Cambodia- THAI and Cambodian military officials met Thursday in an attempt to defuse tensions over a border dispute that briefly erupted into deadly clashes last week.

The meeting between the mid-level officials in Cambodia's northwestern tourist hub Siem Reap is meant to pave the way for talks between senior military commanders on Friday.

The talks are aimed at calming a simmering territorial dispute over land near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which broke into a firefight that killed one Thai and three Cambodian soldiers on October 15.

Shots were exchanged last week between soldiers stationed on disputed land near the temple, which belongs to Cambodia. Cambodian and Thai military officials agreed to joint border patrols the day after the clashes, although Cambodian commanders have since reneged on the deal, saying such patrols are not possible in disputed areas. Tensions between the neighbours flared in July when Preah Vihear was awarded World Heritage status, rekindling long-running tensions over ownership of land surrounding the temple.