Officials have made “some progress’’ in their investigation into the Sept 24 rocket attack on a CPP convoy, but have not decided whether to make the report about the incident public when it is completed, a government spokesman said Tuesday.
Information Secretary of State Khieu Kanharith said forces from outside the country may have been involved in the Siem Reap town attack, which killed one bystander. It was described by government officials as an attempt on the life of Second Prime Minister Hun Sen.
“I do not know the details but, for example, it seems that the TNT was obtained inside Cambodia and the devices were obtained outside the country,” Khieu Kanharith said Tuesday at his office. “There could be something deeper to the attack.”
Khieu Kanharith implied plotters may have received assistance from people outside Cambodia.
However, he dismissed recent allegations in the pro-government newspaper Chakraval (Universe) of an alleged US Central Intelligence Agency link and suspicious presence of “two Westerners” near the attack site.
“We must let the police continue their work,” the spokesman said, adding that army, police and intelligence officials are involved in the investigation.
Government investigators and advisers on Tuesday would not reveal any information about the ongoing inquiry.
National Police Director-General Hok Lundy on Tuesday referred questions to Lor Ramin, a top anti-terrorism officer who is in charge of the investigation. Lor Ramin, an adviser to Interior co-Minister Sar Kheng, said Tuesday he was not authorized to release information to the press.
Mol Roeup, director of military intelligence and a Hun Sen aide, also would not discuss details about the investigation.
Both men said investigators are continuing their work, but wouldn’t confirm if a report is forthcoming or if police have suspects. Om Yentieng, an adviser to Hun Sen, said he also is not authorized to release details of the investigation.
An apparently remote-controlled B-40 rocket on Sept 24 narrowly missed a CPP convoy driving to a swearing-in ceremony at the King Norodom Sihanouk’s royal residence.
Four B-40 rockets had been rigged together and concealed on a platform in the brush near the roadside. The four rockets were connected to go off simultaneously, but for whatever reason—perhaps a heavy early-morning rain—only one launched.
Police officials at the scene said the rocket barely missed a vehicle in the CPP convoy. Senior government officials said the rocket had whizzed just a meter in front of the Land Cruiser occupied by Hun Sen.
Other accounts had the rocket exploding near the back of the CPP convoy, several hundred meters from Hun Sen.
The rocket hit a house at street level and instantly killed a 15-year-old boy.
(Additional reporting Jeff Hodson)