2 killed at cordoned ‘militant den’ after Rab operation in Ctg: Rab

Two persons were killed in a blast at a suspected militant den cordoned off by members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram this morning.

Rab suspects the deceased were operatives of banned outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and were hiding in the house.

The elite force has primarily called off the operation at the “militant hideout” in Sonapahar area of Zorarganj in the upazila after they recovered scattered body parts of two suspects following a blast, said Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of Rab’s legal and media wing.

The identities of the two deceased could not be known immediately.

“They were members of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and had a plan to carry out a terrorist attack at the court premises in Chattogram,” the Rab official said.

On information, a team of Rab conducted a drive in the area at around 3:00am today and cordoned off the one-storey tin-shed house near the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, he said.

The Rab officials called upon the suspected militants to surrender after they cordoned off the house, but the “militants” opened fire and hurled Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at the law enforcers, prompting the Rab officials to retaliate with gunfire, the Rab official said.

“Later, a huge explosion was heard at around 4:30am. The militants might have detonated a bomb themselves,” he said.

An AK 22 rifle, three pistols, raw materials for making grenades and huge amount of explosives were recovered from the spot.

The bomb disposal unit of the elite force also diffused five crude bombs after recovering those from the spot.

Source: thedailystar