3 suicide blasts at Mirpur ‘militant den’, says Rab

-    3 big blasts inside building at 9:50pm

-    Smokes coming out

-    Rab suspect suicide blasts

-    4 Rab men hurt in blasts

-    Rab fires around 50 rounds of bullets

-    ‘Militants’ seek time twice to surrender

Sounds of heavy gunshots and explosions were heard from the suspected militant hideout in Dhaka’s Mirpur tonight.

At least three bomb were exploded around 9:50pm, over two hours after the law enforcers claimed that the “militants” holed up in house agreed to surrender to the lawmen, reports our staff correspondent from the spot.

Law enforcers suspected the explosions are suicide blasts.

Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, legal and media wing director of the Rab, briefs the media on Tuesday night about the raid at the suspected militant den. Photo: Rashed Shumon

Minutes after the explosions, Rab members fired around 50 rounds of bullets, Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, legal and media wing director of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), told reporters at 10:45pm.

Law enforcers will resume their operation next morning, the Rab official told The Daily Star over phone around 12:00am.

Read More: Two ‘militant siblings’ held in Tangail

Earlier around 6:45pm, the Rab commander said that the militants agreed to surrender after repeated attempts of the law enforcers to convince them.

The members of Rab have already evacuated 65 residents of the six-storey house, he said.

A team of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) besiege a six-storey building in Mirpur on Tuesday, September 5, 2017. Photo: Amran Hossain

A police van blocks an alley in the area. Photo: Rashed Shumon

People gather near a police barricade in the area. Photo: Rashed Shumon

Around five to seven persons with a big stash of explosives are inside the building that lawmen have cordoned off since midnight, said Rapid Action Battalion’s (Rab) Director General Benazir Ahmed told reporters in the afternoon.

He said, the lawmen were working with patience and diligence. But, if they do not respond to repeated calls for surrender, the lawmen would spring to action.

Front view of Mirpur militant hideout. Photo: Collected

The six-storey building on Mirpur’s Mazar Road in Dhaka has been under cordon since 12:40am, Faruqul Alam, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Darussalam Police Station, told The Daily Star.

The “militants” blasted some crude bombs at the spot in the wee hours, said Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, legal and media wing director of the Rab.

Locals sought anonymity to tell The Daily Star that the manhunt was being conducted for Khoka and Abdullah, two known faces in the locality who have been living there for long.

They spoke of hearing around three to four loud blasts around 1:00am last night. Residents of the building were evacuated and the locals taken to a safe distance by morning.

The two brothers are said to be married and fathers of children.