Explosion heard as operation continues at Sylhet ‘militant den’

Staff Correspondent, Sylhet:  An explosion  was heard when joint forces led by Bangladesh Army para commandos was conducting an operation codenamed “Twilight” at the suspected militant den in Sylhet.

The operation began around 8.45am on Saturday.

A unit of Para Commando Battalion of Bangladesh Army is conducting the operation using several armoured vehicles with the help of police and SWAT members.
 

Earlier in the morning, the law enforcer cut the gas connections to the five-storey building. 

Law enforcers also cordoned off the five-storey building where suspected militants are believed to have been holing up since Friday morning with a huge cache of explosives.

Around 100 residents remained trapped inside the building, “Atia Villa”, till Friday night, while police managed to evacuate 70 others from an adjacent four-storey building.

At least two suspected militants -- a male and a female -- were inside one of the six apartments on Atia Villa's ground floor.



Risingbd/Sylhet/March 25, 2017/Kamal/Mukul