Police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested a suspect who is believed to have raped and murdered a nine-year-old in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district,

Police claimed that a pistol was found in the possession of the suspect and that he had also admitted to the crime.

They added that the suspect, identified as Ilyas — a cousin of the deceased child, has been shifted to Kohat.

Inspector General of KP Police Sanaullah Abbasi had on Tuesday visited the home of the victim and assured the family that the law enforcement agency would apprehend the suspect.

The nine-year-old had been found dead on Sunday in the Sarokhel area in Thall tehsil, Hangu.

Police had earlier arrested more than 16 suspects in the case for interrogation.