Bomb disposal starts, 4 blasts in Atia Mahal

Four blasts were heard from inside Atia Mahal this afternoon after army and its bomb disposal unit took charge of the five-storey building after a four-day raid.

At least four explosions were heard from the building around 1:00pm, our Sylhet correspondent reports. However, there was no report of any casualty.

Basudev Banik, deputy commissioner (south) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, acknowledged the blasts and said Bangladesh Army commandos were inside disposing bombs and recovering bodies.

However, “Operation Twilight” is yet to be declared to an end in the fourth day today – an operation that was led by Bangladesh Army around the house located in Sylhet’s Dakshin Surma.

So far, four militants including a woman were killed during the raid and six more – including two policemen – in bomb explosion near the marked building during the raid.

At Pathanpara, some return home

Some residents of Pathanpara, an area just 250 yards away from the operation site Atia Mahal, have begun returning to their homes feeling secured and safe.

“We feel safe now. We feel peace as our area has been freed from militants,” a local Najmul Islam, who had fled with his family since early Friday, told our Moulvibazar correspondent at the spot.

“We panicked and the law enforcers told us to evacuate.”

Amina Begum, another resident, said that she went to her relative’s house at Chanpur village in Sylhet’s Fenchuganj upazila on Friday morning.

Nasir Uddin, a school teacher, thanked God “that everyone was okay and nobody was hurt”.

Sec 144 to remain until raid is complete

Section 144 has been clamped in five kilometers area near the Atia Mahal following the gunshots and blasts were taking place at the building.

The section will remain effective there until the raid ends completely, said Jedan Al-Musa, additional deputy commissioner (media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police.

Source: thedailystar