Two killed in police raid on Jhenaidah 'extremist den' [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Two killed in police raid on Jhenaidah 'extremist den'

Local May 08, 2017

An extremist was shot dead while another allegedly blew himself up, injuring two police officials during a raid at bordering Moheshpur upazila in south-western Jhenaidah on Sunday morning.
The extremist who was shot dead was identified as Tuhin while the counter-terrorism officials suspect the other person, who ‘committed suicide’, inside the den might be Abdullah who escaped another raid in Jhenaidah headquarters on April 21, the officials said.
A senior counter-terrorism official told New Age that the extremists who were killed were operatives of Islamic State-inspired faction of banned extremist outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh and had planned to launch an attack on a police van.
Later on the day, in a press conference at Dhaka Metropolitan Police media centre, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit chief Monirul said they captured house owner Jahirul Islam and his sons for their association with extremism.
He said they captured an extremist, Shamim, on May 5 who tipped them off about firearms he had stored in his house and also led investigators to locate the house of Jahirul where a few extremists had taken shelter escaping from another raid.
Monirul said a team, led by CTTC’s additional deputy commissioner SM Nazmul Hoque along with Shamim, raided his house in Lebutala in the district headquarters and seized weapons and explosives dumped underground.
They later raided the house of Jahirul in village Hathatpara of Moheshpur upazila, some 40 kilometers from the district headquarters.
The team captured Jahirul and his sons, and one of the slain extremists who tried to attack the CTTC team was shot dead, the officials said.
The second extremist, with his suicidal vest, caught hold of one police official as soon as they entered their house for checking if anyone was there inside the house.
The police official kicked the extremist and freed himself from his hold while Nazmul, who was coordinating the drive, was injured as the second extremist blew himself up.
Nazmul broke his right hand and district police special branch assistant subinspector Mohsin Ali sustained wounds in the head.
Jhenaidah correspondent reported that Khulna range deputy inspector general Didar Ahmed said Nazmul was moved to Dhaka while Mohsin Ali was rushed to Jessore 250-bed General Hospital for better treatment.
Additional force from both Jhenaidah and Dhaka were deployed for protection, investigation and cleaning the den at the village.
On April 21, the CTTC unit recovered a large number of improvised explosive devices and three suicide vests along with explosives from a militant den in Jhenaidah, but the militants managed to flee.
A converted Muslim, Abdullah, used to live in the building with his wife.
Jhenaidah saw at least four attacks which were claimed by Islamic State.
Monirul said Nibras Islam, one of the extremists who carried out the Gulshan attack, was in Jhenaidah and had connection with Shamim, who led them to the militant den.
Shamim was also linked to Bangladesh-Canadian Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury who coordinated Islamic State network in Bangladesh and was killed along with two other extremists in Narayanganj on August 27, 2016.
Monirul said the extremists were taking shelters in the bordering districts to make their easy escape to neighbouring India.
Section 144 was imposed surrounding areas by upazila nirbahi officer Ashafur Rahman.
The police arrested the house owner Jahirul Islam, his two sons Alam and Jasim and another one from the spot for allegedly the extremist.
The law enforcers seized eight bombs and a nine mm pistol.