SARGODHA, Aug 2: A suicide bomber and a police officer were killed and a constable was injured when an attempt to blow up the Police Training School here was foiled on Thursday.

The suicide bomber who had climbed the wall of the school early in the morning was gunned down after he opened fire with a pistol and started running towards the parade ground when policemen tried to stop him.

He was wearing a jacket packed with explosives and detonator and carried a Russian-made hand-grenade. About 950 recruits were to attend a parade 10 minutes later.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Zakaullah was killed in the exchange of fire.

District Police Officer Sheikh Mohammad Umer told Dawn that the assailant might have been accompanied by other people. He said the young assailant did not appear to be from tribal area.

At a press briefing later, the DPO said that the suicide bomber was carrying explosive material of high intensity weighing about 6kg, a hand-grenade and a pistol.

He said Punjab police chief Naseem Ahmed had announced Rs1 million compensation for heirs of the ASI killed in the attack. He will be posthumously awarded the Quaid-i-Azam Police Medal.

He said the attacker seemed to hail from the Seraiki belt. A team of the National Database and Registration Authority has been called to identify the bomber with the help of fingerprints.