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Bangladesh police kill two top militant commanders

Thursday, 14 January 2016 2:30 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 14 January 2016 2:31 PM ]

Bangladeshi police officers stand guard at the site where an Italian charity worker was shot to death by attackers in the capital, Dhaka, on September 29, 2015 (AFP photo).

Bangladeshi security forces say they have shot and killed at least two militant commanders who were suspected of involvement in a deadly bomb blast on a Shia religious gathering in the capital Dhaka.

According to Sanwar Hossain, a deputy commissioner of police in the detective branch, clashes broke out following a raid by the Bangladeshi police on a hideout of the banned militant group known as Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in the capital Wednesday night.

A police statement said security forces launched the operation upon an intelligence tip-off.

"Two militants were wounded as police fired back after the militants hurled a grenade and started shooting indiscriminately. They were declared dead after they were brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital,” the statement read.

Police noted that three militants were also detained during the overnight raid.

Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies say the militant commanders were involved in the attack on Dhaka's packed main Shia religious center. On October 24, 2015, a bomb attack rocked Hussaini Dalan, the most important prayer and congregation site for Bangladesh’s minority Shia community in Dhaka. The incident left at least one person dead and dozens of others injured.

Over the past few months, Muslims, Hindus and Christians in the South Asian state have been targeted in several militant attacks, including those claimed by Daesh Takfiri terrorists. The government, however, blames local radicalized groups for the raids.

Blood stains are seen on the floor of a Shia mosque after a shooting in Bogra district, northern Bangladesh, November 26, 2015. (Photo by AFP)

On November 26, 2015, at least one worshiper was killed and three others have been injured in a shooting attack by Takfiri terrorists on Shia Muslims at a mosque in northern Bangladesh. Police said five assailants were involved in the attack in the town of Haripur.

Bangladesh has intensified a hunt for militants after the wave of violence that has gripped the country.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has pledged “zero tolerance” for terrorist attacks.

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