Phnom Penh (FN), Jul. 23 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet confirmed that it has now been 12 days since a helicopter belonging to the Royal Cambodian Air Force, flown by two pilots, lost contact with the Air Force headquarters.

Samdech Thipadei underlined that from that moment until now, not a second has passed without thinking of the two missing pilots. The search for the helicopter began shortly after the helicopter went missing during a training exercise, involving the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and local authorities. The search effort has continued day and night.

The premier praised the dedication of Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha, First Vice-chairman of the National Committee for Disaster Management Kun Kim, Commander of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), General Vong Pisen, Deputy Commander-in-chief of the RCAF, General Ith Sarath, the governor of Pursat Provincial Board of Governors, leaders of all relevant units, and all the search personnel involved in this critical mission.

Prime Minister Hun Manet also expressed gratitude to the Cambodian people for their sympathy, concern, and encouragement for the search team’s efforts in such challenging geography and climate.

"No matter how difficult or time-consuming it is, this search mission must continue until we find both of our pilots," Samdech Thipadei underscored.

At the same time, Samdech Thipadei wished the search operations team safety in carrying out this important mission and expressed his sincere hope that the two pilots will be found soon.
=FRESH NEWS