Thai and Cambodian soldiers have clashed along the two countries' border in a major escalation of a festering dispute over territory that killed least 14 people, mostly civilians.

India on Saturday said it is closely watching the situation as military clashes between Thailand and Cambodia continue to escalate, leaving dozens dead and thousands displaced. The government also issued travel advisories for Indian citizens in both countries,

Thailand and Cambodia pounded each other with heavy artillery fire for a third day on Saturday, as a border conflict that killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 150,000 from their homes spread across the frontier.

The UN Security Council held an emergency closed-door meeting Friday in New York. Malaysia, which chairs the 10-nation regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to the hostilities and offered to mediate.

"The U.S. already flunked the test and that should be a wakeup call," a former senior U.S. State Department official told Newsweek.

As the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict enters its fourth day, monks, dancers, and civilians offer shelter, food, and aid to those over 168,000 people displaced.