Cambodia to destroy 200 missiles

Cambodia to destroy 200 missiles

CAMBODIA: Cambodia plans to destroy more than 200 Soviet-era
surface-to-air missiles to ensure that the weapons do not fall
into the hands of international terrorists, officials said on
Tuesday.

Cambodia is a major source of illegal weapons, and has been
known to supply arms to rebel groups across Asia, including the
Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka and militants in Indonesia's Aceh
province.

"Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has decided to destroy all
233 antiaircraft weapons in military warehouses," said co-defense
minister Tea Banh.

"The government's main goal is to help the world in fighting
terrorism because we are worried that these weapons may fall into
the hands of terrorists," he told AFP.

Tea Banh said Cambodia had 233 A-72 missiles which were
imported from the former USSR during the 1980s.

"They are very old, but whether they are old or new, we have
to destroy them," he said. -- AFP