Armed looters with metal detectors have been plundering one of Cambodia's most important temples, the archaeological group Heritage Watch said Monday.

Looters have been plundering the area around Preah Khan, Cambodia's largest temple enclosure, trying to remove the few statues remaining in the complex as well as searching for valuable bronze artefacts, Heritage Watch director Dougald O'Reilly said in a statement.

The temple, in the northern province of Preah Vihear, is unguarded and difficult to reach. This makes it an easy target for a growing number of tomb raiders who have been destroying archaeological sites across the country's northern provinces.