Police launched a cross-border search for a man who allegedly strangled his wife and children before fleeing the UAE. Officers said the man left his spouse, 32, and two children, 13 and 16, dead at their home in Ajman. He is understood to be from Afghanistan. The incident happened in the Rashidiya area on Thursday, December 26, and the bodies were found the following day. Police made the killings public on Tuesday. The mother of the dead woman raised the alarm at about 4pm on Friday after repeated calls to her daughter went unanswered. Officers forced open the door and found the three family members strangled, with pieces of cloth still around their necks. The couple’s third daughter, 3, was found alive in another room. Officers said all three showed signs they had struggled. The suspected killer, identified only as M A, flew out of the country from Sharjah International Airport, officers said. Brig Abdullah Al Hamrani, deputy chief of Ajman police, said the man had suffered a psychological breakdown in the past, according to the wife's parents. “They also said the couple had marital problems, which left the husband bitter and hateful,” he said. The suspected killer bought the ticket several days earlier and on the day of the killings sent his fourth child, a son aged 7, to his grandparents’ house. Lt Col Ahmad Al Nuaimi, head of Ajman CID, said: “After he committed the crime, he locked the door from outside to ensure the incident was not uncovered until he had already left the country. “Within an hour of finding the bodies we were able to find out all his data and where he had gone. Currently, we are co-ordinating with the Ministry of Interior and the Interpol with regard to his extradition to face justice.”