PHNOM PENH: Around 11am on Tuesday, 18 April 2023, gunfire was exchanged between police and a group of thieves in Po Sen Chey district, leaving one police officer injured and two suspects dead.

Phnom Penh Municipal Police spokesman Lt. Col. San Sok Seiha confirmed to EAC news that prior to the shootout, forces from the Minor Crime Office had been active in cracking down on theft. On Tuesday the suspects opened fire on a deputy director of the Minor Crime Office, injuring his leg. Authorities then fired back, killing two suspects.

Lt. Col. San Sok Seiha wrote, "The authorities exercised their right to self-defense by retaliating, killing the two suspects on the spot.”

According to the spokesperson, the suspects were known for stealing motorcycles and cars, and that they carried weapons with them in order to carjack victims under the threat of violence.