Police lay siege to two militant hideouts in Bangladesh

Police on Wednesday cordoned off two suspected militant hideouts in Bangladesh's Moulvibazar district, a media report said.

Moulvibazar Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Shahjalal told Dhaka Tribune that they suspect militants are hiding in the buildings in Borohat and Khalilnagar areas of the district which have been cordoned off by the law enforcers.

"We have information that a large number of militants are hiding in these two hideouts," police's Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit Deputy Commissioner Moinul Islam said.

"Three grenades were hurled later targeting the law enforcers from the building in Borohat area," police officials said.

A huge cache of arms and bombs are stockpiled in the single-storey building in Borohat, the Daily Star reported citing the police.

Both the houses are owned by an expatriate Saifur Rahaman, currently living in Britain.

Meanwhile, gunshots were heard until 10.20 a.m. in Sarker Bazar under Khalilpur union.

Reazaul Karim Mallik, Special Superintendent of Police in the district, said law enforcers could not tell about the exact number of suspected militants in the duplex house.

On Tuesday, army commandos ended an operation codenamed "Operation Twilight" at a house called Atia Mahal in Shibbari of Sylhet city and handed the crime scene over to the police.

Four militants, including a woman, were killed during the commando assault in Sylhet.

--IANS

sm/dg