Intermittent explosions at Atia Mahal

Staff Correspondent, Sylhet: Intermittent explosions and sporadic gunshots were heard piercing through Sylhet’s Shibbari area where an Army-led joint force is conducting an operation, codenamed “Operation Twilight”, at a militant den at the five-story “Atia Mahal” from early March 24.

Sound of gunshots and explosions rocked the area from Saturday night to Sunday morning intermittently. Army Para-Commandos have still cordoned 'the Atia Mahal' off. Other Law enforcement agencies including SWAT, Police, RAB, SB, DB and PBI are assisting them from the outside.

Law enforcers believed that the militants took positions at several flats of the five-storey building and they might possess powerful explosives and grenades.

However, it is yet to know what steps would finally be taken by the law enforcement agencies to capture the militants.

On Friday night, army commandos joined the joint forces to raid the house after police cordoned it off in the early hours of Friday.

A team of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit reached the spot around 4pm on Friday from Dhaka. Another team of Para-Commando Battalion of Bangladesh Army had also been there around 8pm on Friday to join the drive.

Later, the joint forces comprising district police, and members of SWAT, including a five-member bomb disposal unit, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and the Army commandos started the preparations to enter the five-storey building named 'Atia Mahal'.

Besides, police, members of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Detective Branch (DB) of police, City Special Branch (SB), Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) and other law enforcement are also there.

Meanwhile, six people including two cops were killed as two powerful bombs went off at separate places near 'Atia Mahal'.

Earlier, Police evacuated 78 people from the building.

 
risingbd/Sylhet/Mar 26, 2017/Kamal/A K Azad