Bangladesh forces storm militant hideout, IS claims airport explosion

Bangladesh commandos on Saturday stormed a hideout of suspected Islamist extremists in the country’s northeast, rescuing at least 78 civilians, in a major anti-militant drive.

The commandos backed by armoured personnel carriers launched the operation after a more than 30-hour standoff with the extremists in Sylhet.

“All 78 people from 28 civilian families who were trapped in the building for more than a day have been rescued by the army’s para commando battalion,” an armed forces spokesman told the media.

“The operation began at 7 am and is still going on,” he said, adding the commandos “exchanged fire” with the suspected militants who were confined in a ground-floor apartment of the building.

The spokesman could not say how many extremists were in the building, but police said there were at least two including a woman.

“They are Islamist extremists,” a Sylhet police spokesman said, adding they shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest).

The raid came after a series of suicide attacks on security camps by Islamist extremists this month including one at a police check-point near the country’s main international airport on Friday night.

Two of the attacks including Friday’s blast in which the suicide attacker was killed were claimed by Islamic State.