Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has detained six members of the banned militant outfit Ansar al-Islam, including its chief coordinator.
They were held in a raid in Narayanganj's Rupganj on Sunday night, said Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of legal and media wing of RAB at a press conference on Monday.
The detainees are Abdur Razzak alias Ishaq alias Saiba, 41, Shariful Islam alias Murad, 31, Ashikur Rahman alias Usaiman, 27, Md Zakaria alias Abrar, 24, Al Amin alias Robin alias Samura, 24, Abu Zar alias Maruf, 18.
Several extremist books and other equipment were seized from the arrestees.
During primary interrogation, the arrestees said Abdur Razzak is the chief coordinator and head of the training branch of Ashulia, Savar, Gazipur, Manikganj and Mymensingh regions.
They said they were inspired by the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and were operating Ansar al-Islam following the ideology of al-Qaeda.