Police and military officials in northern Preah Vihear province are on the hunt for a soldier who allegedly gunned down another serviceman following an argument during a card game on Monday.

The incident occurred in the home of the victim, in the village of Rong Reurng, Choam Ksan district. Military engineer Heng Bros, 38, allegedly took offence at jibes from Preap Touch, 45, a captain in the same unit.

Bros reportedly shot Touch twice in the chest and once in the arm, leaving the man dead at the scene. Bros then disappeared into the nearby forest with an AK-47.

Choam Ksan deputy police chief Nhem Sopheap yesterday said that a multi-agency manhunt for Bros is ongoing.

“The joint authorities have been working together to search for the suspect for two days already,” Sopheap said yesterday.

The killing comes on the back of three other shooting deaths at the hands of security service personnel within the last week.

On Friday, a military police officer accidentally killed a 6-year-old boy in Phnom Penh, while on Saturday a former military official gunned down his mother-in-law and sister-in-law in Banteay Meanchey province.