Metal pieces found in Preah Vihear: Suspected spy plane parts

The authority was inspecting the metal pieces suspected to be part of a spy plane exploded mid-air. The pieces were found in Preah Vihear province on 16 August 2011 (Photo: Hang Savyouth, RFA)

 Joint authority force in Preah Vihear province have discovered several metal pieces made from aluminum spread on the ground. The parts could be pieces a small plane flying over Kulen district, located about 40 km southwest of Preah Vihear city.

The discovery was made after 3 loud explosions were heard in the air on Tuesday morning.

Research teams from the joint force including soldiers, military police and CMAC employees, indicated that several metal pieces measuring 4 to 7-cm thick, as well as an electrical box were found near a villager’s house and also in several locations in the forest located in Kulen district, south of Sroyong commune, after several consecutive explosion sounds were heard. The sound created panic among villagers located about 40-km around the area.

On Tuesday 16 August, Sor Thavy, the deputy district governor of Preah Vihear province, said that several explosion sounds were heard at about 6AM, then the authority started the search immediately after villagers from Kulen district reported that they saw metal pieces raining down from the sky near their houses.

The Preah Vihear provincial authority made a preliminary assessment that the metal pieces could be parts of a small spy plane that were remotely controlled and that there were no pilot in the plane.

Nevertheless, the Cambodian authority did not yet find proof that these metallic pieces were part of spy plane, nor did they find where did the plane come from or its country of origin.

 

16 August 2011
By Hang Savyouth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer