An absconding militant was killed and three policemen, including the officer-in-charge of Rupnagar Police Station, suffered wounds in a ‘gunfight’ during a raid on a ‘militant den’ in Dhaka’s Rupnagar area tonight.

- Militant identified as Jahangir Alam Murad

- 3 police officers shot, stabbed during raid

The deceased was identified as Jahangir Alam Murad, 40, a retired army person who had a regular communication with militants in Narayanganj, Monirul Islam, the chief of counterterrorism unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told The Daily Star.

Tipped off that a trainer of Neo Jama’atul Mujahiddeen Bangladesh (JMB) was staying at the top-floor flat of a six-storey building in the area, Rupnagar Police launched the drive there around 8:30pm, said Addition Inspector General (Admin) of the Police Headquarters Mukhlesur Rahman.

When the law enforcers tried to enter the flat, Murad swooped on the policemen and chopped them with a sharp weapon and opened fire at them, prompting them to retaliate with fire, he said, adding that he was caught in the line of fire during the gunfire and died on the spot.

Syed Shahid Alam and Md Shaheen Fakir, officer-in-changer and OC (investigation) of Rupnagar Police Station respectively, were injured, said Md Yusuf, duty officer of the police station.

Shahid Alam has received stab wounds on his back. Shaheen Fakir has been shot on his left arm, our correspondent reports from Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where they were taken. Later, they were shifted to Square Hospitals.

Sub-Inspector Mominur Rahman was later also admitted to DMCH with stab wounds on his hand.

Police also recovered one pistol and two knives from the spot.

In the aftermath of terrorist attack on Gulshan’s Holey Artisan on July 1 and Sholakia attack on Eid day, Bangladesh’s law enforcers have been carrying out thorough anti-militancy drives.

Since then, two successful drives were carried out – one in Mirpur’s Kalyanpur where nine militants were killed, followed by the drive in Narayanganj where a terror kingpin was killed.