KOTA KINABALU, July 17 — The disappearance of an 11-year-old girl from Sepanggar has ended in tragedy after her decomposed body was found near a house under construction, with police arresting two men in connection with her death.

Nurjilya Abdullah, who had been missing since July 13, was found at about 10.38pm yesterday on a hillside covered in dense vegetation in Kampung Numbak, where she lived.

In a statement late last night, acting Kota Kinabalu police chief Superintendent Syed Lot Syed Abdul Rahman said the body was discovered after police received information from members of the public.

Initial examinations found the body was in an advanced state of decomposition, and the victim’s identity was confirmed by her mother based on the clothing she had been wearing when she disappeared.

A post-mortem later concluded that Nurjilya is believed to have died from injuries to the face and back of the head caused by blunt force trauma from a hard object.

“Acting on information and investigations carried out, police have arrested two men aged 39 and 42 to assist in the investigation.

“Both suspects will be brought before the court for a remand application to enable investigations to continue,” Syed Lot said in a statement today.

He said the motive for the killing has yet to be established, and investigators are continuing to record witness statements and gather evidence.

The case, initially investigated as a missing person’s report after Nurjilya disappeared from her home in Kampung Numbak Bakau on July 13, has now been reclassified as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

Nurjilya’s disappearance had sparked widespread concern after Kota Kinabalu police issued a public appeal earlier this week to help locate her.