One of a gang of suspected armed robbers was shot dead in a shootout with police in Poipet town on Monday evening, police said yesterday.

Om Sophal, Poipet town police chief, said yesterday that patrolling officers received a report from witnesses that a group of armed robbers had stolen two motorbikes from motorists in the area, and were heading across Nimit district towards the Phsar Rachas market.

Two police officers set off to respond to the report, and upon arriving at the market, saw five men removing the licence plates from two motorbikes.

“Upon seeing that, the police officials stopped and asked [what they were doing], but three suspects got on a motorbike and escaped, and another two who were pulling off the number plate took out guns and shot at the police,” Sophal said.

“Fortunately, they missed. The authorities quickly surrounded [them], but the suspects had guns and they shot many times at the authorities.

“The police then launched a counterattack and caused one of the suspects to die at the scene, and the other one managed to escape,” he added.

Sophal said that police still have not identified the deceased suspect, but police are in contact with the victims whose bikes were stolen.