Capital shootout leaves one police officer dead

Police officers detain two suspects following a shootout that left one officer dead in Phnom Penh yesterday. Photo supplied

Capital shootout leaves one police officer dead

Thu, 28 April 2016 ppp

Niem Chheng

A military police officer was shot and killed during a shootout with an alleged drug-trafficking gang in the capital’s Tuol Kork district yesterday afternoon.

In a video released to local media of the incident on Street 351, at least two gunshots can be heard during the standoff. Soon afterwards, officers drag two suspects out onto the pavement and kick them before putting them in a police vehicle.

Military police spokesman Eng Hy said officers arrested three suspects, with the ringleader shot and killed.

“One military police member was also shot dead,” Hy said yesterday evening, adding that the officer, who was not identified, was taken to hospital but died soon afterwards.

“We confiscated a car and some other things; though all details are not clear yet as the operation is still in progress.”

However, Tuol Kork Military Police chief Tan Utaroa said five suspects were detained, with one shot dead during the joint operation, which concluded about 6pm and included National Police forces.

“We are still searching in the house. We found some guns, but I don’t know how many, as our forces are inside the building. We arrested five and killed one,” he said.