PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered 200 anti-aircraft weapons and 500 troops to the Vietnamese border in Ratanakkiri, Mondulkiri and Stung Treng provinces. He commanded the military to be on the lookout for potential spy drones that fly into Cambodian territory.

The Prime Minister said that in recent days, many drones have been spotted in Ratanakkiri province, which Vietnamese authorities confirmed was not their reconnaissance aircraft. The PM suspects that the drones belong to the group that attacked Vietnamese governmental buildings on June 11.

On June 27, he released a voice message with instructions to Minister of National Defence, Tea Banh, and Deputy Commander-in-Chief, General Hing Bun Heang. "We have to use our modern weapons to shoot down any drones that fly into Cambodian territory," he commanded, “Please act immediately!"

This is the first time that Cambodia has used anti-aircraft weaponry since the Prime Minister ordered the government to prepare weapons and special units able to respond to aerial warfare last year.