A drug-addicted father has been sent to court in eastern Mondulkiri province accused of killing his 2-year-old daughter after slashing her throat and seriously injuring another girl in a scythe attack on Friday.

The man was captured after police passed through Vietnamese territory to access the remote O’Raing district where the crimes were committed.

“It is a far-flung area and people have cleared the forest anarchically, so it has no proper infrastructure,” Mondulkiri provincial police chief Nhem Vanny said yesterday.

The man, named as 28-year-old Dak Nong, was reported to be a long-time drug user who was abusive towards his family. The family told police he attacked the two girls in a fit of drug withdrawal as they slept at about 7:30pm.

The younger girl, Mat Lirony, died at the scene, while 4-year-old Mat Ly Yas was taken by family members to a hospital in Vietnam, where she is still recovering.

Following the incident, local villagers reportedly surrounded the suspect, who threatened to kill them if they approached him. Police arrived three hours later and apprehended the man.