A man was detained on Wednesday for allegedly stabbing a military officer to death in O’Beichoan commune in Banteay Meanchey province’s O’Chrov district.

Commune police chief Norng Samrang said the 26-year-old suspect from the commune’s Preychan village was arrested hours after fleeing the scene.

He identified the victim as 29-year-old Keo Pichreaksmey, the deputy commander of Platoon II based at the Cambodian-Thai border.

He said police immediately arrived at the scene after receiving a report about the murder.

“We saw the victim’s body near a motorbike while a one-year-old girl was crying. The body had several cuts on the head and neck,” he said.

He said after questioning witnesses, police deployed forces in search of the suspect at every entrance of the village before arresting him along with a knife as evidence.

Citing the suspect’s confession, district deputy police chief Khoem Savuth said the murder was an act of revenge following a heated argument during a drinking party last month.

He said the suspect held a grudge against Pichreaksmey after he threatened to shoot his head while drunk at the party. He had been monitoring the victim’s activities before the murder.

“We charged him with intentional murder after obtaining his confession. We are ready to send him to the provincial court on Thursday,” he said.