A group of men armed with guns and swords attacked two motorists as they drove across the Monivong Bridge in Phnom Penh on Saturday afternoon, a police official said Sunday.
The attack occurred at about 5:20 p.m. as Ros Sambo, 21, and Huy Bun Kheang, 22, were driving a motorbike across the bridge from Meanchey district to Chbar Ampov district, according to a deputy Chbar Ampov police chief.
The police official—who requested anonymity because his superior had instructed him not to give his name to journalists and to provide only limited information about the case—said five or six men opened fire on the victims, then slashed their motorbike with swords.
Mr. Sambo and Mr. Bun Kheang escaped the attackers by leaping off the bridge onto some homes below, the officer said.
“Their motorbike was cut in two or three places by swords,” he said.
The officer added that all of the suspects—who still have not been identified—escaped.
Recovering from bullet wounds to his shoulder and legs at Calmette Hospital, Mr. Bun Kheang on Sunday said he had no idea why anyone would want to harm him.
“My friend and I have not had arguments with anyone before,” he said. “And I could not see the attackers because they were behind us and I did not turn around to look at them.”
Mr. Bun Kheang said he and Mr. Sambo were on the way to dinner at a restaurant when the suspects first shot Mr. Sambo in the arm, causing him to lose control of his motorbike.
“After we were shot, the motorbike fell over,” Mr. Bun Kheang said. “We jumped from the bridge and I ran into a villager’s house to save our lives.”
Mr. Sambo, who had four pins screwed into his upper right arm, also said he did not know why he was shot at and declined to speak further.
