JMB leader killed in Azimpur raid
Ex-major Zahids wife among 3 women held
An alleged operational commander of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Karim, was killed and three female militant suspects were injured during a police raid in Azimpur area of the capital last night. Five policemen were also injured during the operation carried out by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
Three children, two girls and a boy whose identity could not be confirmed, were also rescued from the house. The children were taken to the Victim Support Centre of the DMP.
Among the injured militant suspects, one was identified as Jebunnahar Shila, wife of ex-army Major Zahid, who was killed in a gunfight with law enforcers at Roopnagar in the capital on September 2. Police had described Zahid as the second-in-command of militant mastermind Tamim Chowdhury, who had allegedly plotted the Gulshan caf attack and was later killed in a police raid on his hideout in Narayanganj.
CTTC Additional Deputy Commissioner Sanwar Hossain confirmed the death of a suspect yesterday night but refrained from divulging any details as the law enforcers were yet to wrap up their raid on the spot. Three women, suspected to be militants, were arrested from the spot, he confirmed. Police recovered four pistols, 50 rounds of bullets, some sharp weapons from the militant den, said Sanwar, also the head of the bomb disposal team of the CTTC.
According to sources, a local telephoned the police and informed them about suspected militant activity in a flat in Azimpur. The local police then informed the matter to the CTTC of the DMP. Later, a team of the CTTC, supported by members of the SWAT team of police, raided a flat in house 209/5, a five-storey building on the Lalbagh Road near BGB Gate-2 around 7:45pm yesterday.
The group had rented the flat two months ago. The owner of the house is named Kawsar, who is the owner of Kawsar sweets. He remains mostly at home due to old age, said locals.
Police cordoned off the building and urged the suspects to surrender. The suspects, however, declined the police call and opened fire at the law enforcers, according to police sources. When police retaliated, a male militant got shot and died on the spot. After police stormed the flat, the women also attacked the police. The three women sustained injuries after police opened fire in self-defence, the sources added. The injured women were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment under police custody.
Police bomb disposal unit later searched the house for explosives. A CID team collected various evidence and samples from the spot. Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque visited the spot.
Police sources said the killed militant, Karim, was responsible for renting flats to house militants for carrying out various operations.
Injured constables Mahtab, Jahiruddin, Ram Chandra Biswas, Lablu and Shahjahan were admitted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
