Sitakunda raid: ‘They rented the flat this month’

The militants killed during Sitakunda raid today had rented the flat this month, a neighbour said.

“They moved here around March 5,” said Mofaskerul Islam, who lives in a building next to the two-storied building in Premtala that was the subject of a raid of the joint forces last night.

Read more: Militant dens busted in Ctg

“We do not pay attention to outsiders much as the area is filled with outsiders. They come and go,” he told The Daily Star after the raid – code named “Assault 16” – ended this morning.

The owner of the house could not be interviewed immediately as he was taken into police custody.

“Assault 16” at the “militant den” in Chittagong’s Sitakunda ended with the death of four “Neo JMB militants,” injuries to at least four lawmen and rescue of 20 people.

Also read: 4 ‘Neo JMB militants’ killed in Sitakunda hideout

Among the dead are a woman and three men. The injured include two policemen, a member of Special Weapon and Tactic Team (SWAT) team, and a fire fighter.

‘A night of blasts and gunfire’

Bishwajit Chakrabarti, a man who lives next door in an earthen hut, was terrified all night as he thought the force of the blasts would bring down his hut.

“Police entered the Chowdhuri Para area at around 3:00pm yesterday. Then and then we heard some loud explosions followed by gunfire,” he told The Daily Star.

“They blasted about 12 bombs from yesterday afternoon and all throughout the night,” he said.

The last blast the inhabitants heard was a very loud one around 6:30am – about three hours before operation “Assault 16” was formally announced to have ended.