Extremists probably used suicide vests to blow themselves up: Police; raid on 2nd hideout likely today
The 22-hour-long Operation Hit Back ended yesterday afternoon with the death of at least eight suspected militants in a hideout on the outskirts of Moulvibazar town. The joint forces found the scattered body parts of the suspected extremists when they finally entered the house.
Monirul Islam, chief of the Counter Terrorism and Transitional Crime (CTTC) unit, said the militants probably used suicide vests to blow themselves up when they found no way to escape.
“We think there were seven to eight people of different ages,” he added.
He was speaking at a press briefing at the Khalilpur Union Complex building after the operation.
Monirul explained that since all the bodies had been blown to bits, it was difficult to identify the bodies immediately. “But we're sure that all of them were members of the Neo-JMB. We also suspect that the dead militants are all members of the same family,” he said.
Monirul also said they have detained the caretaker of the building for interrogation. He revealed that the caretaker had told them that the suspected militants were from Nasirpur.
They were living in hiding. No one ever saw them leaving the house. He told reporters that they have found a large number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) inside the building. These IEDs are similar to those found in the Sitakund operation.
Monirul said they learned about the Nasirpur hideout when they cordoned off another hideout 20 km away, in Barahat. Detectives identified the militant den after keeping close watch on the house for three days and gathering information about the tenants.
Monirul said they will soon start operations in Barahat. The local administration has imposed Section 144 in Barahat since Wednesday. According to sources, the raid on the Barahat den is likely to start sometime in the afternoon.
Operation Hit Back started at 6.18 pm on Wednesday. The joint forces team comprised members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), the CTTC unit, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the district police.
Around 5am yesterday, the team tried to enter the house. But a thunderstorm thwarted their plans. The team started the operation once again around 11.50am. At first, they tried to detect the presence of the militants using drones. Sporadic gunshots and explosions were heard from the scene.The forces launched the final assault around 2.30pm and successfully completed it by 3.45pm.The local administration shut down all the educational institutions in and around the spot, police said. They also evacuated local residents to safety.
