PHNOM PENH — Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense said on Sunday that search and rescue operations for a missing military helicopter are underway amid poor weather and obstacles.

The chopper had lost contact with the air force headquarters while flying over the densely forested Cardamom Mountain range in Pursat and Koh Kong provinces during a training flight on Friday.

Bad weather was blamed for the disappearance of the helicopter.

"After a full day of search and rescue efforts on July 13, 2024, with unfavorable weather and many obstacles... the rescuers have not yet located or found this missing helicopter," the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.

"On the morning of July 14, 2024, the rescue team, with the participation from relevant units in the geography of the lost helicopter, is continuing search activities for the missing chopper," it added.

The statement did not specify how many people were aboard the disappeared helicopter.

Cambodia acquired 12 Z-9 helicopters from China in 2013 to boost its military capacity.

Four Cambodian soldiers died and one was injured in 2014 when a Z-9 exploded in mid-air before crashing into a water-filled quarry during military training on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh.

In 2008, Cambodia's chief policeman Hok Lundy was killed in a helicopter crash along with the then-deputy army commander and two pilots when their chopper went down in bad weather.

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