Bangladesh Police detains eight suspected members of New JMB

Eight suspected members of a new faction of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (New JMB) were detained by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from Narayanganj and Comilla.

However, the identities of the detainees were not disclosed by the RAB.

RAB is an elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police.

Dhaka Tribune quoted RAB Legal and Media Wing's Senior Assistant Director Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan as saying that they were detained from different areas of Narayanganj and Comilla with jihadi books and explosives last night and belong to JMB's Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and Sarwar Jahan faction.

Several leaders of New JMB including its military and operations chief Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury have been killed or arrested after the deadly attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery on July 1 last year which claimed 20 lives including 18 foreigners.

Two militants of the New JMB (Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen) group including Gulshan terror attack operational commander Marjan were killed in an alleged gunfight with the counter- terrorism unit in Dhaka's Mohammadpur area on January 6 this year.