Six die in raid on suspected Bangladesh extremists

DHAKA: Bangladesh police on Thursday raided a suspected militant hideout in an operation that left five relatives and a fire officer dead, officials said.

Police shot dead the five people, all from the same family, as they emerged from a house in northwest Bangladesh, senior police officer Sumit Chowdhury said.

One of the five stabbed the fire officer, who died of his injuries, while two others hurled grenades at police. Two police were also injured.

“We were surprised by the attack. Two of them threw grenades and another attacked a fire service officer with a sharp rod. He later died in hospital,” said Chowdhury.

“Five extremists were killed in our shooting. They include a father, his wife and their two sons and a daughter,” he said.

Police raided the house in Habashpur, Rajshahi district, following a tip-off that members of the outlawed Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh ( JMB) Islamist group were holed up there, Chowdhury said.

Police rescued a two month-old baby and a seven-year-old boy, and believe one woman may still be inside the house.

“The firing has stopped. But we have not entered the compound yet,” assistant superintendent of police Ekramul Haq said, adding bomb disposal officers have been called to the site.

It was not clear whether the sons and daughter were adults, but police said two young brothers, named Ashraf and Al-Amin, alias Hamza, were suspected to have been killed and that one was wearing a suicide vest.