B’desh hunts for six militant commanders

INVESTIGATORS FOUND A DETAILED PLOT TO TARGET PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN AN APARTMENT IN WHICH FORCES GUNNED DOWN NINE MILITANTS

NEW DELHI:A probe by Bangladesh authorities into a gun battle between security forces and suspected militants earlier this week has thrown up key information about six suspected militant commanders, investigators and a news report said on Saturday.

During a major drive on Tuesday, nine suspected militants were gunned down in an apartment in Dhaka’s Kalyanpur area. Authorities described the overnight operation as “very successful” as only one police official was slightly injured. A tenth suspected militant, Rakibul Hasan alias Regan, was captured by security forces as he tried to escape from a multi-storey building that was raided. He was questioned by investigators while being treated for bullet injuries .

Jugantor, a leading Bengali newspaper, reported on Saturday that Regan told investigators about militant commanders operating in Bangladesh and details about them had been confirmed by security officials.

The newspaper said these commanders, who have all been identified, have arms and grenades.

Investigators said they also found important information in a laptop found at the scene of Tuesday’s raid. They also found a detailed plot to target places across the country and an audio message stored in electronic devices, Jugantor reported.