C’nawabganj raid: Jhenidah fugitive militant among dead, cops suspect
One of the three unidentified “militants” found dead at Chapainawabganj den, might be a “Neo JMB member” who escaped a police raid at a Jhenidah hideout last week, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit Chief Monirul Islam said today.
“The photo of the militant, Abdullah, has been matched with one of the militants killed during the Chapainawabganj raid,” the CTTC chief said while talking to reporters at Dhaka Metropolitan Police media centre.
“But the identity will be confirmed after his DNA test,” he added.
Three of the four slain militant suspects at the hideout were killed in suicide blasts and the other died from bullet wounds, doctors who conducted autopsies on them said yesterday.
The bullet-hit man was identified as Rafiqul Islam alias Abu, an operative of terror outfit “Neo JMB”. The identity of the other three was yet to be known, said police sources.
According to police, Abdullah, who was owner of a Jhenidah’s suspected militant hideout where police conducted the raid on April 21, converted to Islam from Hinduism in 2012.
READ more: 'Neo JMB' made bombs at Jhenidah Hideout
On that day, the counterterrorism officials busted a “Neo JMB” bomb-making factory in Jhenidah from where explosives were supplied to other militant dens, according to the law enforcers.
During the two-day operation codenamed “Southpaw” at the two-room tin-shed house in Jhenidah’s Porahati village, a CTTC team found large quantity of chemicals.
ALSO READ: 3 dead 'militants' still unidentified
C’nawabganj den used as Neo JMB explosives storehouse
The law enforcers have recovered four bombs, one suicide vest and one pistol from the hideout in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj, said Monirul, also additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
The militants used to store explosives at the den from where those were supplied to the militants, he said.
Sumaiya belongs to Jamaat family
Sumaiya Begum, wife of “Neo JMB leader” Rafiqul Islam alias Abu, came from a family involved with Jamaat-e-Islami, the CTTC chief Monirul said quoting Sumaiya, who was brought out from the den along with her six-year-old daughter on Thursday.
Abu got involved with the militant activities after he married Sumaiya, he added.
“Sumaiya also told police that two people from Jhenidah went to the Chapainabganj den,” Monirul said.
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