3 ‘militants’ killed in Barahat operation

Chief of the police’s counter terrorism unit, Monirul Islam, has said three alleged militants including a woman were killed in the Barahat anti-militant drive in Moulvibazar as the police winded up Operation Maximus.

“Three militants - two men and one woman - were killed in the operation,” Monirul Islam told a media briefing in Moulvibazar on Saturday noon.

DMP’s counter terrorism unit in assistance with SWAT began Operation Maximus on Friday morning after they spotted the “militant den” on Wednesday following a clue from the Sylhet bomb blasts that took place during Sylhet’s anti-militant drive in which seven people including three lawmen were killed.

The police resumed the operation this morning after it postponed the drive on Friday as evening descended.

Briefing newsmen, Monirul Islam, also the additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said these alleged militants went to Sylhet from Moulvibazar and exploded the bombs killing seven people there.

The police officer said they learnt that the militants took shelter in the Moulvibazar dens after carrying out the blasts in Sylhet.

“We came to know beforehand that three militants including a woman were in this hideout,” said Monirul.

The police officer said the militants detonated grenades and powerful bombs to build resistance against the law enforcers.

“The female militant threw two grenades on Thursday at the law enforcers from the roof of the building, but one of them didn’t explode,” said Monirul.

The counter terrorism unit chief claimed that the police tried to detain them alive. “But, whenever we tried to get close, they hurled bombs at our forces.”

He said the militants detonated two grenades on Friday evening when the police stopped the operation for the day.

Monirul said the law enforcers entered the “militant den” only after they were sure that all of the militants were killed in the operation.

Earlier, Monirul told the media that the alleged militants of Moulvibazar are members of what the police call Neo-JMB, an offshoot of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen (JMB).

Source: Prothom Alo