RAB has found bomb-making materials from a house in Chittagong after laying siege to the hideout used by suspected Harkat-ul-Jihad or HuJI militants.
Published : 08 Dec 2016, 08:25 AM
Three were detained from the three-storey building at the port city’s Colonel Haat around 10am Thursday.
The interrogation of two suspects, caught with weapons at AK Khan area, led to the operation, RAB officials said.
“The five arrested in separate incidents are HuJI members,” RAB media wing director Mufti Mahmud Khan told reporters outside the house. “They were trying to regroup after a long period of inactivity.”
The two suspects caught earlier - Tajul Islam and Nazimuddin – had two pistols in their possession, he said. The three detained from the Colonel Haat house are Abujar Gifari, Noor-e-Alam and Iftesham Ahmed.
Seven gun magazines, 12 IEDs and bomb-making materials were found in the hideout, the RAB spokesperson said.
The three detained from the house rented the flat on the second storey of the building under construction in the middle of November.
They told the landlord their families would join them at the start of December, RAB said quoting locals.
The floor of the flat was seen littered with jihadi books, bearing balls, wires, knives along with remains of the fire.
RAB was aware of HuJI members assembling in Chittagong, the spokesperson said.
“Nazimuddin has close ties to HuJI leaders Mufti Hannan and Rouf who are in prison.”
“Abujar Gifari is HuJI’s coordinator in Kushtia. Noor-e-Alam and Iftesham are long-time members of the banned outfit.”
The building is owned by one Mansur Ahmed, said a local named Monir Hossain.
RAB personnel came to the area around 6am and informed the locals about the hideout, said another local Nurul Alam Nuru.
“They went to the entrance and told the women to come out and the men to surrender.”
“After one and half hour, when no one responded, RAB broke open the gate.”