A 23-year-old man succumbed to his wounds on Friday after being shot by Thai soldiers as he was illegally logging rosewood, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Interior yesterday.

The casualty brings the death toll of loggers killed in Thailand on Friday to four. Chang Puthrea was one of seven people who crossed over into Thailand from Oddor Meanchey province’s Trapaing Prasat district, the statement said.

He died while his fellow loggers were returning him to his village. Meanwhile, Pok Sophal, a military official based in Trapaing Prasat district, said he was not aware of when the bodies of three other Cambodians who were fatally shot by Thai soldiers on Friday would be returned.

The three men were part of another group of five loggers that had crossed into to Thailand from Oddar Meanchey. Two men from that group are still missing.

Separately, four men had been arrested by Trapaing Prasat district officials when they attempted to enter Thailand last Friday, Pok Sophal said, but were released after officials explained the dangers.