A Battambang man accused of attacking a 13-year-old boy with an axe – injuring him so severely that he required brain surgery – is due to face court today.

Banan district police deputy chief Pan Vanny said the man, in his 30s, used an axe to strike the boy in Ta Kream commune on June 16 before going into hiding.

“Through investigation, we took action and on June 18 we found him at the floating pagoda at 8.30am and arrested him,” Vanny said.

Police were unable to provide a name for the suspect yesterday, saying they did not have that information at hand, but said he had confessed to the crime under questioning.

Battambang provincial deputy police chief Chet Vanny said the man was delivered to the provincial police on Saturday and will be sent to court today.

James McCabe, of the Child Protection Unit which was involved in the investigation, said the victim was being treated.

“We had a brain scan which detected bleeding into the brain. Had [the victim] not been medically evacuated out, he would have passed away,” he said, adding that it was likely a ‘‘drug induced’’ attack.