Rabat – On Saturday, police arrested a man suspected of decapitating a woman in Oued Ifrane in the Middle Atlas.

The police arrested the suspect in Toufnit, a town in Midelt Province, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco.

The suspect is a 38-year-old shepherd in the forests of the Atlas Mountains. He reportedly disappeared suddenly after the crime. His personal connection to the victim, if any, remains unclear.

The body of the 24-year-old Moroccan woman was found on December 28.

The woman was a divorcee, mother of a 7-year-old daughter. She was living with her parents.

Authorities deployed a helicopter and sniffer dogs during the investigation. The Moroccan Royal Gendarmerie, auxiliary forces and members of the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) chased the suspect.