Suicide bomber targeting RAB camp in capital dies [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Suicide bomber targeting RAB camp in capital dies

Local March 18, 2017

An unidentified youth was blown up in a suicide bombing at an under-construction installation of the Rapid Action Battalion at Dakkhin Khan in Dhaka on Friday, leading authorities to reinforce security at airports and other key point installations.
Battalion officials suspected that it was an extremist attack while Islamic State claimed responsibility for the suicide attack on the security installation that also injured two battalion members.
The battalion legal and media wing director, Mufti Mahmud Khan, said that they were not sure which group was involved in the attack but the explosive found with the attacker hinted that it was an extremist attack.
The explosion blew up the body of the attacker, aged about 22, and injured battalion’s lance corporal Mizanur Rahman and constable Arif.
The injured were rushed to Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka cantonment.
The Inter Services Public Relations directorate director Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Rashidul Hasan told New Age that Mizan was under examination as splinter hit his body, especially in the lower part.
‘He is being examined to confirm whether he has any internal damage. But, he is out of danger now,’ he said.
The agencies concerned beefed up security at key point installations including airports, river ports and prisons.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner (Uttara division) Bidhan Tripura said that the incident took place inside a battalion camp, which the authorities demarcated for the construction of the elite force headquarters.
Local people said that the attack took place at about 1:00pm inside the installation, secured by boundary wall and located between the airport railway station and government hajj office, and half a kilometre from the country’s largest Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The camp is used for parking several official vehicles and washing uniforms. There was also a makeshift small barrack, protected by a security check post at the lone entrance.
Officials said that the attacker entered the barrack area crossing a wall which divided hajj office and the battalion camp. The attacker was carrying a backpack, said a senior counter-terrorism official.
The officials said battalion members who were there saw the unknown youth in the restricted area and challenged him.
At once, the attacker, who was in black trousers and black-white shirt, blew up himself at a place which the battalion personnel used as laundry, said officials.
‘Being challenged, the intruder tried to escape and there was an explosion. He died on the spot,’ said battalion spokesperson Mufti.
Counter-terrorism officials who visited the spot suspected that the attacker was carrying suicide vest.
Mufti said it was an extremist attack but they did not find any leaflet or anything else at the crime scene.
Battalion swept the area to check whether any bombs were there. Police officials said that they seized two explosives.
A collected video showed the body, blown into parts, lying on the blood-stained laundry floor.
Investigators suspected that the attacker was carrying bomb in the chest, which resulted badly damage of the body except the head.
The battalion cordoned off the crime scene with tape while several SUVs parked there were seen damaged by splinters.
Hajj office jame mosque imam Jahangir Hossain said that he was preaching at the mosque and heard a big bang at about 1:05pm.
‘I asked the musallis [who joined the Jumma prayers] not to be worried as a police van was standby in front of the mosque,’ said Jahangir.
A witness, Mamun Rahman, who was heading to mosque, said he was frightened hearing the bang and they rushed to the spot and saw a body lying on the ground.
Battalion officials then got them out from the crime scene.
Another witness Ripon Miah said that hearing the sound he came to the spot and saw pieces of flesh here and there which were being grabbed by craws.
Hours after the attack, the Islamic State affiliated Amaq news agency in their telegram claimed the responsibility for the attack.
Five hours later, militancy monitoring firm ‘SITE Intel Group’, tweeted, ‘IS’ ‘Amaq News Agency Reports Suicide Bombing in Bangladeshi Capital.’
After continued crackdown since extremist attack on Holey Artisan Bakery at Gulshan on July 1, 2016 claimed by Islamic State, the government repeatedly denied the presence of IS in Bangladesh but security forces said many youths could be inspired by the extremist group mostly based in Iraq and Syria.
Latest attack on Friday is the third attack claimed by the IS since July 1, 2016 attack which left 29 people killed. The Islamic State claimed the attack on security personnel on July 7, 2016.
Another attack on a Hindu priest in Narsingdi in August 2016 was claimed by the Islamic State.
Rohan Gunaratna, who heads the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, recently said that the IS started operation in Bangladesh in 2015, and killed many foreigners including of Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella in September 2015.