Thai authorities gunned down at least five Cambodian nationals who crossed into the neighbouring kingdom to illegally log during the first half of this year, government figures suggest.

The figures were discussed during a meeting of officials on Tuesday at the Cambodian-Thai Border Relations Office in Poipet town.

Poipet office chief Pich Vann said in the first half of 2015, Thai authorities conducted 15 crackdowns, which saw five Cambodians killed and one injured.

Another 15 were arrested and released and 29 others were locked up in Thai prisons, while another 15 went missing.

Last year’s report from the Ministry of Interior stated that 11 Cambodians were killed by Thai authorities.

Additionally, the report mentioned six assassinations, eight murders and 16 others dying from traffic-related accidents.

Thai officials also reportedly cracked down on cross-border drug trafficking operations 17 times, resulting in one Cambodian being shot dead and eight others arrested.