A 15-year-old Japanese schoolgirl has been arrested for allegedly murdering a classmate and dismembering her body.

The suspect admitted to strangling the victim in her home, before severing her head and her left hand, according to a report by The Age.

The suspect, who lives away from her parents in the Japanese city of Sasebo, delivered blows to the head of her classmate with a metal instrument before strangling her.

The body of 15-year-old Aiwa Matsuo was found on a bed in the suspect’s apartment early on Sunday morning after her parents reported her missing.

The victim had allegedly gone out with friends on Saturday afternoon but failed to return that night.

The city of Sasebo previously made headlines in 2004 when a primary schoolgirl stabbed a classmate to death.