4 extremists killed as army raid on [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

4 extremists killed as army raid on

Local March 28, 2017

Four suspected extremists, including a woman, were so far killed as army commandos continued ‘Operation Twilight’ at suspected den of extremists at a multi-storey building in Sylhet city for the third day on Monday.
At a briefing in Sylhet Monday evening, army spokesperson Brigadier General Fakhrul Ahsan said that they would continue the operation at the ‘risky-building’ at Pathanpara under Dakkhin Surma until handing over the place to the law enforcing agencies.
The four bodies were yet to be identified, he said replying to a query.
‘The four were well-trained. The killing of four after tracing them here is a big success for us and Bangladesh Army…Our operation is going. And it will take more time and will work with the guidance of high ups,’ said Fakhrul, also the
director military intelligence at army headquarters.
Two of the bodies found inside the building called Atia Mahal were handed over to the police for further investigation, army officials said.
They were not sure about the beliefs of militants who all were wearing suicide vests and said it required further investigation.
They said that the body of the female was burnt while the face of a male extremist was beyond identification.
A forensic team collected samples for future identification of the four.
The third body was seen wrapped with improvised explosive devices and the fourth body was also beyond recognition, the officials said.
Fakhrul said that there were no casualties among army commandoes while they exchanged bullets and explosives.
Moglabazar police station sub-inspector Shiblu Chowdhury filed a case with the police station early Monday against unnamed people for Saturday’s blasts near Ata Mahal that left at least six people killed and nearly 60 injured.
Action Battalion director intelligence Lieutenant Colonel Abul Kalam Azad, who sustained critical injuries in the head in the blasts, was moved to Singapore from Dhaka’s Combined Military Hospital Sunday evening by an air ambulance.
Timothy Lee, senior consultant neurosurgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, is treating him in Singapore, said the officials.
An official in Bangladesh high commission in Singapore said on Monday that his condition was ‘really critical’ but his doctor was yet to make any announcement.
Rests of the injured were admitted to Sylhet district hospital and Osmani Medical College Hospital, the officials said.
The Saturday’s attack killed six people – Jalalabad police station inspector (investigation) Monirul Islam, Sylhet Metropolitan Police court inspector Chowdhury Md Abu Kaysar, Dakkhin Surma upazila Chhatra League leader Ahidul Islam Apu, higher secondary student Jannatul Fahmi, Prime Lighting and Decorators entrepreneur Shahidul Islam, and his colleague Kadim Shah.
Inspector general of police AKM Shahidul Hoque in a statement expressed deep condolences to the families of the deceased, including his two colleagues, killed in the blasts.
He also denounced ‘cowardly’ attack and reiterated that mental strength of police force still very strong.
The police collected the finger prints and other samples of the bodies of Shahidul Islam and his colleague Kadim Shah, police officials said.
The bodies were handed over to their families. Police officials also interrogated the families of the two.
Sounds of gunfire and explosions with intervals had been heard from the nearby areas of the extremists’ den from March 23. No such sound was, however, heard after 4:00pm on Monday, local people said.
Fakhrul said on Sunday evening that the commandos had to take time to get in the building as the extremists had assembled huge explosives in a bunker on the ground floor and set improvised explosive devices on the entrances of each apartment.
The power supply to the area that had been snapped early March 24 was restored in the night. But, power supply to the Atia Mahal remained suspended.
Residents of Pathanpara, Gotatikar, Shibbari, Jainpur, Mominkhola and Musargaon said that the gas supply to their area remained suspended since March 24.
Local administration prohibited public gathering in about 3:00km span between Humayun Rashid Square and Pir Habibur Rahman Square on Sylhet-Fenchuganj Road.
Earlier Saturday morning, commandos stormed into the house climbing rooftop and rescued at least 78 civilians.
The commandos backed by armoured personnel carriers launched the operation after more than 30-hour standoff with the suspected extremists in the five-storey building after counter terrorism unit officials spotted the hideout, where Rohingya-origin Marjina along with her family members reportedly took shelter.
It was not verified whether the woman found killed on Monday was Marjina, counter terrorism unit officials said.