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Gunmen Storm Cambodian Capital, 7 Dead
P H N O M P E N H, Cambodia, Nov. 24 -- More than 40 gunmen stormed government offices in downtown Phnom Penh early today, an attack by “terrorists,” the government said. Seven of the gunmen were killed.
While the government blamed the attack, which left another eightpeople wounded, on a U.S.-based anti-communist group, officialsoffered no evidence of who was behind it and the motivationremained unclear.
The early morning assault was the worst violencein the capital since Prime Minister Hun Sen seized power in a July1997 coup d’etat.
A Well-Organized Effort
Residents said the fighting raged for more than an hour near theDefense Ministry, Council of Ministers office and other buildings.Sunrise showed walls pockmarked with bullet holes and blood on thesidewalks.
“A group of armed terrorists attempted to disturb the capitalbut our forces reacted and full stability has been restored,”Phnom Penh Gov. Chea Sophara said. He said the attackers appearedto be well-organized, using assault rifles, grenades and rocketlaunchers.
The wounded included seven government police and army personneland one civilian — a security guard who was hurt by a grenade.
Hun Sen, who was attending a summit of Association of SoutheastAsian Nations in Singapore, played down the incident.
“It is the activity of terrorists, this is a terrorist group,no problem, very small,” the prime minister told reporters.
Government Blames U.S. Group
Defense co-Minister Tea Banh blamed the U.S.-based CambodianFreedom Fighters, but gave no evidence linking the group to theattack.
Hun Sen called on the United States to arrest the alleged leaderof the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, Chhun Yasith. He accused thegroup and another, the Khmer Serei, of plotting to overthrow hisgovernment.
However, a top adviser to Hun Sen, Om Yentieng, downplayed anyspeculation the attack was an attempted coup d’etat.
“This was to destroy property, make noise and kill people,” hesaid — not an effort to take power.
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