Banteay Meanchey provincial police today are to arrest a prison guard who shot his superior in the leg during a drunken squabble on Tuesday inside the provincial prison compound.

According to police and prison officials, Moeun Rean, the deputy security chief at the prison, was drinking with the prison’s transportation chief, victim Chhorn Chheun, on Tuesday evening when they decided to compare their weapons.

An argument ensued and the suspect accidentally discharged his AK-47, hitting Chheun in the right thigh and causing serious injury, said Hem Sophal, the director at the prison.

“This case is not a serious one since the suspect was just careless and triggered his rifle, injuring the victim,” he said.

Seth Los, a provincial deputy police chief, said the men were intoxicated during the incident, which was originally reported as a shoot-out at the prison.

The authorities have yet to arrest the suspect, he added, as the required documents are not ready, but he is expected to be arrested and sent to court today.