IS owns Sunday’s bomb attack injuring 2 including woman cop

Dhaka, May 27 – Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack on police members that injured two people, according to a twitter post by global terrorism monitoring network SITE Intelligence.
In a Twitter message of the ‘Site Intel Group’, the monitor wrote: “IS Claims Bombing Bangladeshi Police Vehicle in Dhaka.”
Bangladesh Police, however, said they are still not certain about the identity of the party(ies) that may have carried out the attack.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said that the cocktail that blasted at Malibagh intersection was powerful than the general cocktail.
The explosion, which left two people injured, including a police officer. After the explosion, the van caught fire. The injured were Rasheda Akhter Lovely, 28, an assistant sub-inspector of traffic police, and Lal Miah, 50, a rickshaw-puller.
While visiting Lal Miah, the rickshaw-puller who was injured in the bomb explosion, at Dhaka Medical College Hospital Asaduzzaman Mia said, “The explosion was carried out by a vested quarter that wants to create fear among the public. But it cannot be said now if there is any militant connection to the incident.”
Talking about the blast, he said, “We think the explosive was kept in the car and not hurled at the police.”
“Based on the primary investigation, we think it was an improvised bomb, but it was more powerful than the usual ones used here,” he said.
It is also being investigated whether the police has been targetted, or in any other case. It was initially thought that the cocktail had already been kept behind the police van, the commissioner said.
He said that the police’s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit is investing the explosion. “With them DB, CID have collected various evidence from the spot. It is being investigated who were behind the blasts or what was the motive. Bomb disposal unit of Counter Terrorism is investigating the type of explosive of the cocktail. Police have yet to identify the culprits,” he told the media.
Terming the incident as an act to spread fear, the DMP chief said, “If the attackers wanted, they could have killed our police officials.”
After the Sunday’s blast, police had said the explosive was hurled at the police vehicle from behind.
“Attacking a police vehicle or checkpost is a move to break down the police’s morale and its initiative to oust terrorism from Bangladesh,” he added.
Replying to a query about the blast, he said, “Not just terrorists, but a political group also wants to create unrest like we have seen in 2013 and 2014.”
“We are investigating to find out if they are instigating these incidents. Various police investigating agencies visited the explosion site and collected samples as part of their investigation,” he said.
About Lal Miah the commissioner said that the rickshaw puller Lal Miah was injured by breaking the skull of his head. His head was operated last night. Now everything is normal. But he is still not out of danger. Everything that is needed for his treatment has been done.
Earlier on Sunday (May 26) night, a cocktail went off near a police pickup at Malibagh intersection in the capital that injured a rickshaw puller and a female police officer.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Rasheda Akhter Babli, 28, who suffered injuries to her left leg, was near the vehicle when the cocktail exploded around 8:50pm.
Both were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Later, the police officer was shifted to Razarbagh police lines hospital. The DMP commissioner yesterday visited injured female police officer at Razarbagh police lines hospital before went to DMCH.
Earlier on April 29, three persons, including two traffic constables and a community policeman, were injured in a “crude bomb blast” in Gulistan area of Dhaka.
After the attack Militant activity watchdog SITE Intelligence Group said that the Middle East based militant outfit Islamic State or IS has claimed responsibility for the cocktail bomb attack on police.
Earlier on 2016, SITE Intelligence had previously informed about IS’s claim of responsibility of the terrorist attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan. – Staff Reporter