Child murder suspect killed in 'shootout'

A horrific murder case took a dramatic turn in the Baffa police jurisdiction as the Afghan national, accused of brutally killing and beheading a 9-year-old boy, was arrested and killed during an armed encounter on Wednesday night.

According to police sources, the accused had lured the innocent child, Muhammad Usman, a resident of Mohallah Railway Station, Baffa, to a secluded location on July 20.

The child, who had gone missing after evening prayers, was later found dead in a sugarcane field near the village outskirts.

In a gruesome act that sent shockwaves across the region, the accused had decapitated the boy and hidden the severed head several feet away from the body, which was buried in the mud.

The incident sparked outrage among the local population, who demanded swift justice.