Security personnel walk near a militant den in the Bosila area where militants were killed in a blast in Dhaka April 29, 2019. — Reuters pic
DHAKA, April 29 — Bangladesh security forces raided a suspected Islamist extremist hideout in Dhaka today killing at least two militants, police said.
Police commandos were met with gunfire on arriving at a house in the capital’s Bosila neighbourhood after midnight todday, Lieutenant Colonel Ashique Billah told AFP.
This was followed by an explosion which demolished the walls of the house, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) commander added.
“Our bomb disposal unit found the body parts of two militants in the house. The explosion was so powerful that it tore apart the bodies and shook the whole area,” he said.
Four other people were detained including a caretaker and imam from a nearby mosque, the officer added.
Bangladesh launched a crackdown on Islamist extremism after attacks in July 2016, when Islamic State-inspired militants stormed a Dhaka cafe killing 22 people, including 18 foreigners.
Security forces have since staged nationwide raids in which it says nearly 100 members of two extremist Islamist groups have been killed. Hundreds of suspects have been detained.
The South Asian nation has boosted security since the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, which were carried out by jihadists affiliated to the Islamic State group that killed 253. — AFP