Two rockets were fired early Tuesday in an apparent attack on the offices of the governor of Oddar Meanchey province, police and provincial officials said Wednesday.
No one was injured in the attack at 12:30 am, and police have no suspects and have not determined a motive. One official, however, said the incident was not linked to terrorism or politics.
Ath Khem, Oddar Meanchey province police chief, said Wednesday that two rockets landed in the vicinity of the governor’s office in the provincial capital, Samraong.
One of the rockets did not detonate, while the other hit a tree and exploded some 300 meters from the provincial hall. It did not cause any damage, Ath Khem said.
“Police cannot make any conclusion on this, but I know that it is not terrorism,” Ath Khem said.
“Why would terrorism take place in such a small town?” he asked. He said the attack could be the result of a personal dispute following the recent distribution of material assistance to 900 troops being demobilized in the province.
Ath Khem said police discovered the rockets were fired from a location around 5 km from the governor’s office, and those who fired them must have had a degree of familiarity with the weapons.
Oddar Meanchey Governor Lay Virak—Funcinpec member and former high-ranking member of resistance forces on the Thai border during the 1980s—could not be contacted for comment Wednesday.
First Deputy Governor Mao Tim said Wednesday Lay Virak was in Phnom Penh on Monday night and is expected to return to the province later this week.
Mao Tim also said that the incident might have been the result of a disagreement during the recent demobilization ceremony, where some troops were visibly unhappy with their assistance packages.
