Dhaka – Police has unearthed a militant hideout at Ashkona of Uttara area in capital Dhaka early Saturday. Two women along with two children surrendered to police during a raid on a militant den at Ashkona of Uttara area in the capital early Saturday.
The two women and their children surrendered to the police around 09.30am, UNB News Agency reported.One of the women was identified as Jebunnahar Shila, wife of ex-army Major Zahid, who was killed in a ‘gunfight’ with law enforcers at Roopnagar in the capital on September 2 last, said assistant deputy commissioner Sanwar Sunny of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
The other detained woman was identified as Trishna, wife of absconding JMB leader Musa, he added.
Tipped off that a group of ‘Neo-Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)’ were staying at an apartment in a three-storey building of the area, a team of the CTTC unit cordoned off the building early in the morning, said CTTC unit chief Monirul Islam while briefing reporters on the spot.
Police started a raid on a suspected militant hideout in Dhaka since early on Saturday.
A team from the counterterrorism unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) cordoned off a three-storey building at Ashkona, saying several suspected members of the Neo JMB were believed to be there.
“According to our information, there are at least six Neo JMB operatives in the ground floor of the building,” the unit’s chief Monirul Islam told the media near the spot.
Law enforcers said they negotiated with the suspected militants to get them to surrender.
“We established contact with those who were inside and asked them to surrender,” Additional Deputy Commissioner Sanowar Hossain.
He said that residents of apartments on the two others floors were evacuated.
Uttara Fire Service’s Senior Station Officer Shafikul Islam said two of their units have reached the spot at 5:15am and at least five others are ready to be deployed.
“Those inside have been repeatedly asked to surrender. But they are threatening to detonate grenades tied to their bodies ,” he said,
DMP chief Asaduzzaman Mia has reached the spot. Replying to queries from journalists, the DMP Commissioner said, “I will not leave the spot before briefing you.”
After the July 1 Gulshan attack, police have raided several hideouts in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur, during which more than 20 suspected militants had been gunned down.
