AFP | July 13, 2012 12:06AM BKT
CAMBODIAN troops have fired shots at a passenger aircraft flying near the country's disputed border with
Thailand, believing it to be a spy plane.
"The Cambodian military fired because there was a Thai passenger plane - Bangkok Airways - which could not
land at Siem Reap airport because of bad weather," said Thai deputy army spokesman Colonel Sirichan Ngathong.
"It was misunderstood by Cambodia to be spy plane," he said, adding that no one was hurt in the incident near
the northern Cambodian tourist destination of Siem Reap.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=185591-generic-plane.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/185591-generic-plane.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Cambodian military at the border - the site of deadly territorial clashes between the neighbouring countries last
year - confirmed troops had opened fire at an aircraft.
"It was dark so we could not see what type of plane it was. But it was circling many times and then our soldiers
fired 18 shots from a machine gun, but it missed the plane because it was flying very high," Commander Seng
Phearin said.
"I think a passenger plane would not fly around the border. We suspected it was a spy plane, so we fired to defend
our airspace," he said, adding the aircraft had been around 10km inside Cambodia.
He said the incident happened at 7pm local time (10pm AEST) on Wednesday, although the Thai authorities said it
occurred Thursday morning.
AFP was unable to immediately contact Bangkok Airways.
CAMBODIAN troops have fired shots at a passenger aircraft flying near the country's disputed border with
Thailand, believing it to be a spy plane.
"The Cambodian military fired because there was a Thai passenger plane - Bangkok Airways - which could not
land at Siem Reap airport because of bad weather," said Thai deputy army spokesman Colonel Sirichan Ngathong.
"It was misunderstood by Cambodia to be spy plane," he said, adding that no one was hurt in the incident near
the northern Cambodian tourist destination of Siem Reap.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=185591-generic-plane.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/185591-generic-plane.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Cambodian military at the border - the site of deadly territorial clashes between the neighbouring countries last
year - confirmed troops had opened fire at an aircraft.
"It was dark so we could not see what type of plane it was. But it was circling many times and then our soldiers
fired 18 shots from a machine gun, but it missed the plane because it was flying very high," Commander Seng
Phearin said.
"I think a passenger plane would not fly around the border. We suspected it was a spy plane, so we fired to defend
our airspace," he said, adding the aircraft had been around 10km inside Cambodia.
He said the incident happened at 7pm local time (10pm AEST) on Wednesday, although the Thai authorities said it
occurred Thursday morning.
AFP was unable to immediately contact Bangkok Airways.
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