Dhaka, July 26 (UNB) – Nine suspected militants were killed in police firing during an operation by a special team of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in the city’s Kalyanpur area early Tuesday. DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Masudur Rahman said members of law enforcement agencies cordoned off a 5-storey building of Atahar Uddin Ahmed known as ‘Taj Manjil’ at house no-53 and road no-5 in Kalyanpur area after 12:00 am following information that it was a den of militants. The house was reportedly being used by militants as a mess-house. Sensing the presence of police, two militants from the 4th floor of the building jumped off and tried to escape. Police opened fire on them which left a militant, Hasan, injured while another managed to flee. The injured man was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Earlier, police alerted the residents of the house. To avoid general causality, police did not conduct any drive at midnight and took time to evacuate the house. Later around 5:51 am, members of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and Bomb Disposal Unit, two special teams of Detective Branch started their operation named, ‘Operation Storm-26’ and continued for an hour, the DC (Media) said. At one stage, he said, the militants hurled grenades and fired shots at the law enforcers, forcing them to fire back that left the nine ‘militants’ dead on the spot. Later, DMP Additional Commissioner (Crime & Ops) Shiekh Maruf Hasan briefed reporters on the spot. Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque visited the spot around 7.45am. “We’re primarily suspecting that the militants are members of the banned outfit Jama’atul Mujaheed Bangladesh (JMB) and they had no link to IS members,” said the IGP. Shahidul Hoque also said these militants had similarity with the Gulshan café attackers who had worn black clothes and turbans on their heads and carried bags. “They were preparing to carry out sabotage,” added the police chief. DMP Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman Mia said a bomb disposal unit is working at the house to defuse bombs. ‘It will take some one hour more to complete all formalities inside the terror den and the bodies of the militants will be sent for autopsy after completion of those formalities’’, added the DMP chief. Terming the incident unexpected, local ruling party lawmaker Aslamul Haque said: “We will raise public awareness against such activities and will inspire locals to extend more support to the law enforcers in busting such gangs.” Meanwhile, Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station, said seven people rented the house but the owner did not submit any information about the tenants. Ashik, a resident of 5th floor of the building, said there were seven people in their room at night and he heard sounds of three bullets and ‘Allahu Akbar’ slogan being cited around 12.45am. Anik, another resident of the floor, said he also heard the same sound and lay down on the floor. Besides, a policeman suffered injuries as militants opened fire on the law enforcers. One Motiur Rahman told the journalists that he failed to contact his cousin Abu Sayem Ashiq, who is a resident of the building and also a student of Mirpur Polytechnique Institute. Motiur said: “I heard about the incident and came here in search of my cousin. He was trapped in the fifth floor during the raid and talked to me over phone. But, right now I am failing to reach him.” On July 1, the country witnessed its deadliest terror attack when gunmen raided a Gulshan cafe, killing 20 hostages, 17 of them foreigners, and two police officers during a 12-hour siege. The hostage situation ended when army commandos stormed the restaurant on the morning of June 2, killing five attackers and one employee of the cafe who, law enforcers claim, was a suspect. Later on July 7, the Eid day, militants killed two police constables in an attack at a security checkpoint near Sholakia Eidgah. One woman was killed when hit by stray bullets in her home nearby, while police shot and killed a suspected attacker.
