Law enforcers cordoned off a suspected “Neo JMB” den at Bagbaria in Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong tonight. Two teams of Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) reached the spot from Dhaka. 

A fresh gunfight took place between suspected militants and law enforcers around 1:10am, Iftekher Hossain, officer-in-charge of Sitakunda Police Station, told our corresponded at the spot. 

- SWAT and CTTC teams from Dhaka reached around 1:30am

- Sounds of gunfight heard around 1:10am

- Inspector injured in grenade attack

- Neo JMB militants may hide in the den: cops

- Militant couple with child held

Earlier in the afternoon, a police inspector sustained splinter injuries when the “militants” hurled grenades at the law enforcers from the “den” at a house in Premtala area, said police. 

Sounds of gunfight were heard from the nearby areas around 9:00pm, reports our Chittagong correspondent from the spot.

Police came under attack as they cordoned off the militant hideout around 3:00pm, said Nure Alam Mina, superintendent of police in Chittagong.

Militants hurled “four grenades” at the law enforcers, leaving Mozammel Haque, inspector (investigation) of Sitakunda Police Station splinter injured at that time, he said.

He suspected that the “Neo JMB” militants might be hiding in the “den”.

A joint team of district special branch of police and Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) was conducting the drive following information gleaned from a suspected militant couple, who were arrested in Amirabad area in the upazila earlier in the day, he said.

The drive was continuing till filing the report around 10:00pm.

HOW THE MILITANT COUPLE HELD

Militant couple -- Jasim and Arzina -- was detained along with their three-month-old son from a flat in Purbo Amirabad area of Sitakunda. 

They rented a flat at “Sadhan Kutir” owned by one Shubash Chandra Das on February 27.

On February 2, the 30-year-old Jasim along with two other men came to the house owner to rent the flat for his friends. But Shubash denied him saying that he would not allow bachelor/s at his flat, said the house owner.

Two days later, he brought Arzina as his wife and the three-month-old kid for renting the house. He also introduced the two others – aged 14 and 25 – as his brothers-in law, Shubash added.

On February 27, Jasim rented the flat finally. But from the first day, the flat owner suspected his activities.

Joint team of district special branch of police and Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) cordon off a suspected militant hideout at Premtala area in Sitakunda of Chittagong on Wednesday, March 15, 2017. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das

“He [Jasim] told me that he came and brought his belongings from Ramu [of Cox’s Bazar], but the rickshaw-pullers they hired for coming here informed me that they took their belongings from Premtala area [some two kilometres away from the house],” Shubash said.

Meanwhile, the house owner entered their room last night for repairing the toilet. As Shubash and his wife Chhobi Rani approached inside the flat, the two men were trying to connect some circuits in a room.

“When I asked about the circuits, they answered me that they were working with the circuits for lighting,” Shubash said.

But being confused with their suspected activities they asked the family to leave the flat, but they wanted four-five days more to stay.

When Chhobi Rani went inside their flat, she saw that the couple was preparing to flee. She, however, did not see the two other men.

As Subash opened a bag, he found a pistol inside the bag.

Later, the house owner with the help of neighbours caught the couple and handed them over to the police.