Masked Men Take Dozens Hostage At International Sc

[Kerryd]

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, June 15 — Six masked men with shotguns seized dozens of students and teachers at an international school in northwestern Cambodia on Thursday, demanding that authorities give them money, weapons and a minivan, the government and police said.

The men took about 70 people hostage but later released 30 of them, Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said. Three of the hostages were teachers, Deputy Military Police Commander Prak Chanthoeum said.

The attackers ''were armed with shotguns'' and stormed the Siem Reap International School about 9:30 a.m., demanding $1,000, six AK-47 assault rifles, six shotguns, hand grenades and a car, Prak Chanthoeun said.

The information minister said that the hostage-takers wanted a 12-seat minivan.

Authorities were communicating with the hostage-takers by mobile phone, the deputy military police commander said.

Foreign students also appeared to be among the hostages, Seim Reap police official Ou Em said.

Further details about the incident were not immediately available.

Siem Reap, a town 140 miles northwest of the capital Phnom Penh, is Cambodia's top tourist destination and has a number of expatriate residents. The ancient temples of Angkor, one of the world's man-made wonders, are located just outside the town which has mushroomed in recent years thanks to the tourism boom.

Their demands consist of: $1,000, six AK-47 assault rifles, six shotguns, hand grenades and a car (a 12-seat minivan) ?

There are probably TV members here that would have an interest in this.

[mnoorsapl]

It's sad that schools are targeted by these attackers in Khamer.

But this is LOS. Hope the Cambodians Police does have the upper hold on the situations.

[sriracha john]

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, June 15 — Six masked men with shotguns seized dozens of students and teachers at an international school in northwestern Cambodia on Thursday, demanding that authorities give them money, weapons and a minivan, the government and police said.

The men took about 70 people hostage but later released 30 of them, Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said. Three of the hostages were teachers, Deputy Military Police Commander Prak Chanthoeum said.

The attackers ''were armed with shotguns'' and stormed the Siem Reap International School about 9:30 a.m., demanding $1,000, six AK-47 assault rifles, six shotguns, hand grenades and a car, Prak Chanthoeun said.

The information minister said that the hostage-takers wanted a 12-seat minivan.

Authorities were communicating with the hostage-takers by mobile phone, the deputy military police commander said.

Foreign students also appeared to be among the hostages, Seim Reap police official Ou Em said.

     

Further details about the incident were not immediately available.

     

Siem Reap, a town 140 miles northwest of the capital Phnom Penh, is Cambodia's top tourist destination and has a number of expatriate residents. The ancient temples of Angkor, one of the world's man-made wonders, are located just outside the town which has mushroomed in recent years thanks to the tourism boom.

Their demands consist of: $1,000, six AK-47 assault rifles, six shotguns, hand grenades and a car (a 12-seat minivan) ?

There are probably TV members here that would have an interest in this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, absolutely interested!

The gf's international school travelled there to compete with them in a sports tournament with Thai/foreigner student athletes and US/Canadian coaches.

This is really terrible news. It shows how desperate some people are... and I wouldn't put it past for something similiar to occur in Thailand, although less likely.

Admittedly, their demands are whacked.... Take 70 hostages and demand a thousand bucks and some guns and a visa-run bus?

Hoping everything ends peacefully....

Will certainly attempt to stay abreast of developments.

[Old Croc]

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, June 15 — Six masked men with shotguns seized dozens of students and teachers at an international school in northwestern Cambodia on Thursday, demanding that authorities give them money, weapons and a minivan, the government and police said.

The men took about 70 people hostage but later released 30 of them, Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said. Three of the hostages were teachers, Deputy Military Police Commander Prak Chanthoeum said.

The attackers ''were armed with shotguns'' and stormed the Siem Reap International School about 9:30 a.m., demanding $1,000, six AK-47 assault rifles, six shotguns, hand grenades and a car, Prak Chanthoeun said.

The information minister said that the hostage-takers wanted a 12-seat minivan.

Authorities were communicating with the hostage-takers by mobile phone, the deputy military police commander said.

Foreign students also appeared to be among the hostages, Seim Reap police official Ou Em said.

      

Further details about the incident were not immediately available.

      

Siem Reap, a town 140 miles northwest of the capital Phnom Penh, is Cambodia's top tourist destination and has a number of expatriate residents. The ancient temples of Angkor, one of the world's man-made wonders, are located just outside the town which has mushroomed in recent years thanks to the tourism boom.

Their demands consist of: $1,000, six AK-47 assault rifles, six shotguns, hand grenades and a car (a 12-seat minivan) ?

There are probably TV members here that would have an interest in this.

Yes, absolutely interested!

The gf's international school travelled there to compete with them in a sports tournament with Thai/foreigner student athletes and US/Canadian coaches.

This is really terrible news. It shows how desperate some people are... and I wouldn't put it past for something similiar to occur in Thailand, although less likely.

Admittedly, their demands are whacked.... Take 70 hostages and demand a thousand bucks and some guns and a visa-run bus?

Hoping everything ends peacefully....

Will certainly attempt to stay abreast of developments.

Apparently there is at least 1 Australian child aged 4 or 5 among the hostages

[eddie11]

there is also one British child confirmed amongst the hostages.

They are demanding £60000, mini bus and weapons(BBC)

[sriracha john]

Shots fired! Kidnappers want to come to Thailand!

PHNOM PENH : Shots were fired inside an international school in Cambodia's northwestern town of Siem Reap where at least 29 young children and a teacher were being held hostage on Thursday, an eyewitness told AFP.

"There were two shots at first and then a whole volley, I would say lasting maybe one or two minutes," said the expatriate eyewitness, speaking by telephone.

"A bunch of people went in about 15 minutes ago with guns. They didn't seem to be in uniform, they had white T-shirts ... It has just stopped now."

"We've made a list of names and nationalities. It looks like there are at least 29 children. This is not an official list it's what people can remember," the eyewitness who asked not to be named told AFP, adding at least one teacher was with them.

She said the children were aged between two and six and were believed to be from Australia, Britain, Cambodia, Canada, France, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Switzerland, and the United States.

"As far as we can piece it out, six kidnappers came in. They seemed to be bandits of some kind... They seemed to be on the run and it looks like they entered without much of a plan."

The men, believed to be armed with a single AK-47, had demanded six more of the guns, six grenades, US$1,000 and a van to take them to Thailand, she said by telephone.

"They entered about 8:30 or 9:00 am (0130 or 200 GMT) this morning. The kids are really little," said the eyewitness.

Prak Chanthoeun, a deputy military police commander, told AFP that up to 20 students were being held and none had been released.

The eyewitness, who said several dozen police had surrounded the school, said children in a second building entered by the gunmen had left but was unsure whether they were released intentionally or escaped.

Ou Em, bureau chief of the serious crime department in Siem Reap, told AFP: "We are pointing guns at them now." He declined to comment further.

"We are discussing this now," a woman who answered the phone at Siem Reap International School told AFP, also refusing further comment.

US embassy spokesman David Gainer told AFP it was "still very early on" and said the embassy was working to find out details.

It was not immediately clear how many children attend the school, located in Siem Reap town, which is home to a sizeable expatriate population, with many working in the aid and tourism sectors.

Among the hostages were two Singaporean boys.

The father of one of the boys, Riaz Mahmood, told Channel NewsAsia his son, Imran, and the other boy, are both three-and-a-half years old.

The parents of both boys are presently waiting outside the school where the sound of gunshots have been heard.

When contacted, the Singapore Embassy in Phnom Penh says it is in touch with the local authorities on the situation.

It is also in touch with the parents on the assistance needed. - AFP/

Edited June 16, 2005 by sriracha john

[lopburi3]

Current CNN report is situation under control and hostage takers in custody after police stormed escape vehicle. No reports of casualties but unclear at this time.

[sriracha john]

Police move into Cambodia school

Police have moved to end a hostage crisis at an international school in north-western Cambodia, after gunmen seized dozens of children.

An eyewitness told the BBC that at least four of the gunmen had been captured, and most of the children freed from the school in Siem Reap.

The motive for the seizure is still unclear.

The relative prosperity of the area is in marked contrast to the rest of Cambodia, which is one of the poorest countries in South East Asia.

The hostage-takers have yet to reveal whether they are members of any organisation.

[sriracha john]

Police end Cambodia school siege

Police have ended a hostage crisis at an international school in north-western Cambodia, after gunmen seized dozens of children.

An eyewitness told the BBC that at least four of the gunmen had been captured, but that one young girl student had died at the school in Siem Reap.

All other children, aged between two and six, and from countries including the UK, US and in Asia, are now free.

[sriracha john]

Karl Balch, honorary British consul in Siem Reap, told the BBC he believed that three of the gunmen could be dead and a fourth was in police custody.

[sriracha john]

PHNOM PENH : One child was killed in the Cambodian hostage crisis on Thursday but the remaining children have been freed, police told AFP.

The victim, a French boy, is reported to have died when Cambodian police stormed an international school in the northwestern town of Siem Reap where at least 29 young children and a teacher were being held hostage by gunmen.

[george]

No Thai students taken hostages in Cambodia

BANGKOK: -- There are no Thai students who have been taken hostages in Cambodia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow told TNA this afternoon that two Thai students who are studying in an international school in Seam Reab Province, Northwest of Cambodia, were not among those being reportedly taken hostages by six gunmen.

The six armed men raided into the international school this morning, taking 20 students and a teacher as hostages.

The armed group, who demanded for a car for escape and a ransom, the amount of which has yet been disclosed, has not yet released the hostages despite negotiations by the Cambodian authorities for hours.

Mr. Sihasak said that one of the two Thai students enrolled at the school has returned to Thailand for a vacation, while the other did not go to school this morning, as now it is a school summer break.

"All those who have been taken hostages went to school for an extra curriculum activity during the vacation", the the foreign ministry spokesman said.

--TNA 2005-06-16

[sriracha john]

John McDermott, a freelance journalist reporting by phone from the scene, told CNN that police stormed the van the gunmen were trying to use for their escape.

McDermott said three hostage-takers were lying on the ground. Two appeared dead and one was injured, but talking to police. Another one was taken away earlier.

McDermott could not confirm the early reports that six hostage takers were involved, but said the hostage takers were young men in their 20s and looked to be Khmer.

A Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman said the school was on vacation but the young children were attending special "summer school" activities, Reuters reported.

[moebius]

CNN reports a five year old Canadian girl and two hostage takers as dead.

[Bentley 7]

It surprises me how easily these types of individuals always seem to be able to get there hands on AK-47's and similar firepower where one pull of a trigger you can take out a dozen people.

Is is some sort of promotion where if you buy 2 bottles of whisky you get 1 free AK-47?

[Kerryd]

CNN reports a five year old Canadian girl and two hostage takers as dead.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Shows how cut-throat the news services are. Each trying to outdo the other, reporting any unsubstantiated rumour in order to grab the headlines.

i.e.:

"[AFP] The victim, a French boy"

"[CNN] reports a five year old Canadian girl and two hostage takers as dead."

"[CBC News]A three-year-old Canadian girl was killed "

"[MSNBC] killing a 3-year-old Canadian boy"

Notice to how the kidnappers ransom demand swoll from $1,000 in the first story, to over $30,000 in the latest story.

Pathetic reporting

Another sad tradegy involving children. I guess when you are a coward with no balls and a gun, children make the easiest targets

[Welshman]

This off the ITN website in UK

A three-year-old Canadian girl has been killed after police stormed an international school in Cambodia during a hostage siege.

Six masked gunmen had taken more than 70 students and teachers, including a British and Australian child, hostage at the Siem Reap International School in north-western Cambodia.

The attackers demanded cash, six AK-47 assault rifles, six shotguns, hand grenades and at least one car.

Within hours of the seige, witnesses heard shots being fired inside the school before police announced the girl had been killed, along with two of the gunmen.

The other hostages were freed.

Deputy Military Police Commander Prak Chanthoeum said: "Four hostage takers have been arrested. There are only four of them."

The hostage crisis unfolded at Cambodia's tourism hub of Siem Reap, near its famed Angkor temples and home to many expatriates.

[Soi Mongrel]

In Cambodia, it could very well be.

[sriracha john]

Associated Press:

The gunmen killed the child when authorities declined to meet all of their demands, Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith told AP, quoting the deputy national police chief, Neth Savoeun.

"They also threatened to kill the children one by one. Then our forces decided to storm the school," Khieu Kanharith told AP.

Channel News Asia reports that the kidnappers were employed by the school as security guards.

[sriracha john]

Reuters:

"We have been informed by the Cambodian Ministry of the Interior that a Canadian is dead," a Canadian embassy official told Reuters.

He gave no further details, but Cambodian police chief General Hok Lundy told reporters the child was a Canadian boy about 5 years old.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Wow... go DAD!

Italy's ambassador to Thailand, Ignazio Di Palma, told Sky Italia TV by telephone that a 3-year-old Italian boy was rescued by his father as military forces moved in.

"They attacked this van in which these kidnappers were with the children and the father of this child told us he jumped in during the confusion and managed to get his son out and ran away with him," he said.

[bina]

shades of what went on in the ex soviet union country (cant remember name) a few months a go with all the children being held hostage... i met some of the released kids later as they came to visit here ....

just one question, since i'm used to the security guard thing, one of the reports said they were security guards for the school.... being an internat;l school, dont they do security checks on their guards??? dont parents check up on these things in internat;l schools?? and with the south simmering in thailand, just wait for a bunch of semi criminal radical types to use the idea in a thai internat'l school

and why would khmer run away to thailand; thai dislike khmer people i've noticed (including thai born khmer speakers)

[udon]

Sad news, indeed.

I should imagine there are still a lot of AK-47S hidden in Cambodia

Sounds like it was as organised as a dog's dinner.....

[udon]

CAMBODIAN SCHOOL SIEGE ENDS

17.6.2005. 07:35:49

Cambodian police successfully ended a siege at an international school but not before armed gunmen shot and killed one of their hostages, a two year old Canadian boy.

The four gunmen stormed Siem Reap International School, near the tourist site of Angkor Wat, grabbed dozens of students and demanded money, weapons and a vehicle to take them to neighbouring Thailand.

They later released 40 children but held hostage to another 30 pupils and staff.

Children from at least 15 nations, including US, Japan, Australia and across Europe, attend the school. Many of their parents are expatriates who work in aid or tourism.

Gunfire broke out inside the school during the six-hour siege, Hostage takers later told police the kidnappers killed the infant because he was crying too much.

Police decided to end the siege after the attackers "threatened to kill the other children one by one," said Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith.

Authorities say they enticed the kidnappers to leave the school buildings after giving them a minivan and US$30,000 (A$39,000) in cash.

When the men got into the vehicle with four children, security forces closed the school gate and launched an assault, pulling the men from the van.

At the same time nearly 40 distressed children, some as young as two, ran out from the school and into the arms of their parents.

But television pictures showed some parents had grabbed some of the hostage-takers from police and began beating and kicking them.

"We could barely control the angry crowd," admitted military commander Prak Chanthoeun.

Denis Richer, a Frenchman who teaches at another school, told the Associated Press said he tried to comfort the father of the young boy who died.

"He was completely lost. He asked me to look for his wife, which I did,” he said. “I found an ambulance to bring the couple to the clinic."

Hundreds of people gathered outside the school during the tense standoff, and three armored personnel carriers were parked on the road.

The identity of the attackers was unclear. Prime Minister Hun Sen said they appeared to be security guards at the school, but police later said teachers did not recognise them.

Police initially said there were six attackers, but later put the number at four. They said the hostage takers were 22 to 25 years old, and were from the southeastern province of Kandal.

Banditry and hostage-taking, normally for money, is not uncommon in Cambodia, which is still awash with weapons after decades of civil war, including the Khmer Rouge genocide of the 1970s.

More than one million tourists visited the country last year, most drawn by the 800-year-old Angkor Wat temple complex.

SOURCE: World News

SBS website