Mastermind of Dhaka’s cafe attack killed in raid

Dhaka, Jan. 6: One of the masterminds of Bangladesh’s worst terror attack at a popular cafe here and another top militant behind the murder of a Hindu priest were killed on Friday in a shootout with police, the latest success in the anti- terrorism drive in the Muslim majority nation.

Islamic State-linked NeoJamaat-ul-Mujahideen’s most wanted leader Nurul Islam alias Marzan and another extremist were killed by Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit in Mohammadpur Beribadh area of the capital during a predawn raid. “One is identified as Marjan and another is Saddam Hossain, an accused neo JMB member,” Monirul Islam, chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police said.

Police said Marzan coordinated the July 1 attack on Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka’s posh diplomatic area that killed 23 people, including 17 foreigners. An Indian girl was among them.

On September 10, police detained three persons from Azimpur including Marzan's wife Afrin alias Prioti. Earlier, a Bangladeshi-Canadian Tamim Chowdhury, who was singled out by the police as the neo-JMB chief and the key player in the recent terror activities in Bangladesh, and two others were killed in a police operation in Narayanganj on August 27.

Saddam was wanted for at least 10 murder cases, including Japanese national Kunio Hoshi murder. — PTI