Vienna, Sep 18 (IANS): Austrian police searching a farm for a gunman who killed four people -- three policemen and a paramedic, early Wednesday claimed to have discovered a charred body which they believed was of the suspect.

The body was found at the farmhouse where the 55-year-old lived near Melk, lower Austria, after special forces stormed the building, BBC reported. The search operation had to be launched in the house for hours since the suspect - named Alois Huber, - was reportedly heavily armed.

It all began Monday when officers tried to arrest a man, being suspected of poaching near the Annaberg town. As police tried to stop his car, the man reportedly opened fire after heading into a ditch. It injured a police officer who later died at the hospital.

Also, a paramedic was shot dead while trying to help the officer, and a second policeman was injured.The gunman then fled on foot, killing a second police officer and taking a third hostage.

He stole their police car and drove, with his captive, to his farmhouse, about 90km from capital Vienna.

Officials later discovered the third policeman's body at the farm.

After a 12-hour standoff, police stormed the building with body armour and assault weapons. The body was found over a day after the gunman barricaded himself in a farm building near Melk, a town 40 miles west of Vienna, The Guardian reported.

About 100 special forces officers on armoured police vehicles were engaged in the operation, who eventually stormed the farmhouse after shots were fired at them.

The charred body was found in a "secret room" of the farmhouse, an Austrian daily reported.