DERA ISMAIL KHAN, May 5: Police claimed to have killed two would-be suicide bombers during exchange of fire at Draban checkpost here on Thursday.

“They were travelling in an explosive-laden Suzuki pick-up. Police targeted the vehicle and both the would-be suicide bombers were killed in it,” said District Police Officer Mohammad Hussain.

Briefing journalists about the incident, he said that the vehicle was coming to Dera city from Frontier Region of Drazenda, a tribal area along the Waziristan border.

The vehicle was signalled to stop at the checkpost but the driver didn't stop it and instead opened firing on police, he added.

He said that the driver headed towards the city but the explosive-laden vehicle was blown up when police targeted it. “As a result both the would-be suicide bombers were killed,” the DPO said.

According to Bomb Disposal Squad there were about 100 kilograms of explosives in the vehicle.

Mr Hussain said that police foiled the sabotage bid and thwarted huge losses to lives and properties of the residents of Dera.

Meanwhile, one militant was killed and two others were injured when security forces shelled suspected locations in Baizai tehsil of Mohmand Agency on Thursday, officials said.

They said that security forces pounded militant positions in Babazai area near Afghan border. A militant identified as Mukamal Shah was killed while his two accomplices were wounded in the action, claimed an official.

In another incident, a shepherd was critically injured when a landmine exploded in Ashrafabad locality of Khwaizai tehsil in Mohmand on Thursday.

The injured shepherd identified as Naseer, 15, was shifted to Peshawar for treatment. Political authorities arrested three persons under the collective responsibility clause of FCR.

In Peshawar, police claimed to have foiled a sabotage bid by defusing a powerful explosive device, planted along a road, here on Thursday.

A police spokesman Jalal Shah said that a six-kilogram bomb packed in canister was planted along Ring Road in the limits of Peshtakhara police station but it was defused safely.

“The station house officer concerned informed the personnel of Bomb Disposal Unit about presence of the bomb, which was defused safely,” he said. He added that the explosive contained 1,500 grams of ball bearings, two detonators and a seven yards long electric wire.

The official said that it could be detonated through a remote control any time. The actual target, he said, could not be ascertained but in the rural areas most of the militants always targeted police.

A case was registered against unidentified terrorists and search was started in the area to arrest the culprits, he added.