Explosives seized from Jhenidah militant den

Security personnel seized a huge quantity of explosives from an abandoned house at Thanthania area of Porahati village near Jhenidah Sadar yesterday. The team, including members of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC), suspected it to be a Neo-JMB hideout. Codenamed ‘Operation Southpaw’, the raid started on Friday. But it had to be suspended around 10.15pm following bad weather and to preclude any panic among people. It was resumed at 9.15am yesterday and ended around 3pm. Khulna deputy inspector-general (DIG) Didar Ahmed led the team.
Ahmed told reporters at a press briefing later that they had found 20 containers of hydrogen peroxide, a 9mm pistol, seven rounds of ammunition, 16 books on extremism, a large number of electrical circuits, 100 splinters, and eight mines in the house. The law enforcement personnel condoned off the house on Friday evening, suspecting it to be an extremist den. The local administration imposed Section 144 in the village.
A bomb disposal team from Dhaka reached the spot early Saturday to join the drive, Ahmed added. Earlier in the morning yesterday, the DIG had said that they had found a 7.65 foreign-made pistol, seven bullets and around 15 jihadi books in the house. Police said the abandoned house, with an asbestos roof, was owned by a man named Abdullah. He converted to Islam from Hinduism five years ago. He is a JMB member. Security personnel started dismantling the house around 9.15am. Sanowar Hossain, the additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Counter-Terrorism Unit, said the security personnel had found no militants in the house.
Last month, CTTC officials busted five hideouts of Neo JMB—two in Chittagong, one in Sylhet, and two in Moulvibazar. Nineteen people, including five children and five women, were killed in those incidents. According to police, 16 of them were killed in suicide blasts. Neo-JMB, which is believed to follow the ideology and strategy of Islamic State (IS), was responsible for the Gulshan Holey Artisan Bakery attack. Twenty-two people, including 17 foreigners and two policemen, were killed in the attack. Since the attack, around 57 Neo JMB operatives have been killed in different drives at different places in the country.

 

 

Explosives seized from Jhenidah militant den

Security personnel seized a huge quantity of explosives from an abandoned house at Thanthania area of Porahati village near Jhenidah Sadar yesterday. The team, including members of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC), suspected it to be a Neo-JMB hideout. Codenamed Operation Southpaw, the raid started on Friday. But it had to be suspended around 10.15pm following bad weather and to preclude any panic among people. It was resumed at 9.15am yesterday and ended around 3pm. Khulna deputy inspector-general (DIG) Didar Ahmed led the team. Ahmed told reporters at a press briefing later that they had found 20 containers of hydrogen peroxide, a 9mm pistol, seven rounds of ammunition, 16 books on extremism, a large number of electrical circuits, 100 splinters, and eight mines in the house. The law enforcement personnel condoned off the house on Friday evening, suspecting it to be an extremist den. The local administration imposed Section 144 in the village. A bomb disposal team from Dhaka reached the spot early Saturday to join the drive, Ahmed added. Earlier in the morning yesterday, the DIG had said that they had found a 7.65 foreign-made pistol, seven bullets and around 15 jihadi books in the house. Police said the abandoned house, with an asbestos roof, was owned by a man named Abdullah. He converted to Islam from Hinduism five years ago. He is a JMB member. Security personnel started dismantling the house around 9.15am. Sanowar Hossain, the additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Polices Counter-Terrorism Unit, said the security personnel had found no militants in the house. Last month, CTTC officials busted five hideouts of Neo JMBtwo in Chittagong, one in Sylhet, and two in Moulvibazar. Nineteen people, including five children and five women, were killed in those incidents. According to police, 16 of them were killed in suicide blasts. Neo-JMB, which is believed to follow the ideology and strategy of Islamic State (IS), was responsible for the Gulshan Holey Artisan Bakery attack. Twenty-two people, including 17 foreigners and two policemen, were killed in the attack. Since the attack, around 57 Neo JMB operatives have been killed in different drives at different places in the country.