PESHAWAR: A man alleged to have been involved in the recent killing of seven charity workers in Swabi was killed on Friday in an exchange of fire with security forces, officials said. He was accompanied by an accomplice who managed to escape.

The suspected terrorist, who was holed up in a house in the Gar area of Maneri Bala in Swabi district, was among those who had attacked and killed the seven workers on Tuesday, District Police Office Swabi, Abdur Rashid Khan, said.

The DPO claimed that a motorcycle and a pistol that had been used in the killing had also been recovered from the suspected terrorists.

Swabi police officials said the two were riding a motorcycle when they were stopped by security forces at the Pir Tab area on suspicion. Instead of stopping, the two opened fire on the police and took refuge in the house of one Fazl Dad in Gar.

The police and the suspects were exchanging gunfire as a result of which an explosion took place and one of the men was killed.

However, Station House Officer of Swabi city police station Zahir Shah said the suspect who had been killed had exploded himself and therefore died after he was shot.

"Exchange of fire between the security forces and the terrorists continued for more than an hour but when the terrorists went out of ammunition one of them blew himself up, damaging the house but no one inside was hurt," SHO Shah told Dawn.com.

A search operation was underway in order to arrest the second suspect who had managed to escape.