Police are investigating the murder of a farmer who was slashed to death with a machete while hunting in a rice paddy in Prey Veng province on Saturday morning.

According to Sithor Kandal district police chief Long Bunthoeun, 46-year-old Hong Pong was attacked while hunting for frogs and small fish with a flashlight in a rice paddy about 1,200 metres away from Poti village, where he lived. His body was found in a canal in the rice paddy.

“According to our examination, the victim was slashed many times in the head and back by an unknown suspect. Therefore, authorities conclude that the cause of death is murder,” Bunthoeun said, adding that investigations to identify and bring the suspect to justice were in the works.

Police located a fish basket, a three-pronged spear and several flashlights in the vicinity of the crime scene.