Cambodia is a major source of illegal weapons which arm rebel groups across Asia including the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka and militants in Indonesia's Aceh province.

"Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has decided to destroy all 233 anti-aircraft weapons in military warehouses," said co-defense minister Tea Banh.

"The government's main goal is to help the world in fighting terrorism because we are worried that these weapons may fall into the hands of terrorists," he told AFP.

Tea Banh said Cambodia had 233 A-72 missiles which were imported from the former USSR during the 1980s.

"They are very old, but whether they are old or new, we have to destroy them," he said.

The decision was made after a meeting between Hun Sen and the US ambassador to Cambodia Charles Ray on Monday.

Tea Banh said US weapon experts will arrive in Cambodia shortly to examine the missiles along with local weapon inspectors but no date has been set for the visit.

Thai authorities said in October that they were hunting for missiles believed to have been smuggled in from Cambodia which it feared were destined for use in attacks during a summit of Pacific leaders including US President George W. Bush.

Alarm over anti-aircraft missiles was heightened last year when two of the weapons were fired at a chartered Israeli commercial jet as it was taking off in the Kenyan city of Mombasa.

WAR.WIRE