Two women were killed and a man seriously injured in two separate incidents in Battambang and Kampong Cham provinces.

In Battambang province, Banan district police chief Pan Vanny said 37-year-old Man Sophea, from Kanteu II commune, died instantly when her husband killed her with a sickle in a jealous rage on Tuesday morning.

Vanny said the husband has been detained for questioning at the Banan district police station.

Citing the couple’s neighbours, Vanny said the unidentified husband was under the influence of drugs, though a urine test revealed no traces of them.

“No illicit substance was found in the drugs test. After initial questioning, police concluded the murder was sparked by jealousy,” he said.

The husband admitted to murdering his wife out of jealousy during police questioning.

“My wife seemed strange after returning from her parents’ house in Kampong Speu province on Monday. I heard her parents telling her on the phone to marry another man from Kampong Speu. When she showed me a photo of the man, I lost control because I loved her so much,” he said.

Vanny said the couple had lived together for around four years while they were migrant workers in Thailand. They returned to Battambang, the husband’s hometown, about six months ago.

He said the suspect had been charged with “premeditated murder” and sent to the provincial police.

In Kampong Cham province, police are probing the death of a woman in Stung Trang district.

District police chief Pak Cheat said 24-year-old Hy Thearin, a Korean language teacher from Prek Kak commune, was raped and killed at a primary school, while her boyfriend Mao Sok Minh, 21, was found unconscious and badly injured about 40m from her body.

“She was found naked so we initially concluded she was gang-raped and murdered. Her boyfriend was beaten while trying to save her,” he said.

Ven Chheng, Thearin’s mother, said her youngest daughter recently passed an employment test for a job in South Korea and was going to leave the country soon.

“I was speechless when my daughter was found naked,” she said, calling on the authorities to bring the suspects to justice.

Provincial police chief Em Kosal said officers are working to locate the perpetrators.